


Yours Truly, Chat Noir

by ScribblingMama



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akumatized Chat Noir, Akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Allies Chat Noir and Papillon | Hawk Moth, Alternate Universe - No Ladybug, Chat Noir is a Supervillain, Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Angst, Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Confident Marinette Dupain-Cheng, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste, Marichat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2020-10-17 18:33:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 35,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20625629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScribblingMama/pseuds/ScribblingMama
Summary: Chat Noir, once part of the famed superhero duo for Paris, has not only switched sides but has become a new Chat Noir entirely. No one knows how this new Chat Noir came about his powers or why he chose to forsake the mantle of the previous one. With him fighting alongside Hawk Moth and no Ladybug in sight, Paris's future appears quite bleak.That is until he runs into one young woman who might hold the power to change him, make him the hero he's meant to be. Could Marinette Dupain-Cheng be the answer Paris needs to have their hero returned and to see Hawk Moth ultimately brought down once and for all?





	1. Blind Date Gone Sour

**Author's Note:**

> If you've been reading my Love Square One-shots and Drabbles, then you'll have seen some glimpses of this story. Welcome to the criminal/supervillain Chat Noir fic I've been working. We'll be seeing weekly updates every Friday. I hope you're ready for a fun ride as Marinette works diligently to bring Chat Noir back to the side of good and helps him reform into the hero he's meant to be.

She couldn’t escape the restaurant fast enough. The guy she’d agreed to see based on her friend’s recommendation proved beyond deplorable. No woman, no matter how desperate, ever deserved to deal with the man’s obvious manipulative behaviors and overwhelming ego.

Escaping to a corner café, Marinette breathed a sigh of relief, glad to be rid of her blind date and the bad aftertaste he left. She perused the menu, relieved to see a number of favorite options available. Ordering one of her favorite teas to go, she smiled at the sweet barista, watching as the younger woman tried not to fumble on what was clearly her first day.

“You’re doing great,” she whispered to the barista, taking her steaming cup and sipping the brew with a satisfied hum. “I’ll be coming back for this again.”

With a small wave, she strode toward the front door, pausing to check the sidewalk before she pushed it open and stepped outside. She had little interest in running into her blind date, not when she had successfully escaped his domineering attitude. No doubt she’d be having words with her friend later about setting her up ever again.

As if conjured, Marinette’s phone rang, Chloe’s name flashing across the screen.

“So, how did it go?” Chloe asked upon hearing the phone connect. “Was he everything I promised and more?”

Taking a breath, Marinette counted to ten, unsure how much her temper would stay in check if she thought about it too hard. When she felt calmer, she said, “He turned out to be a toad, not the prince you might think.”

“Ah, damn, I’m sorry. I thought for sure he was a good one. Well, I’ll do better screening next time.”

“Chlo, there won’t be a next time. I don’t need a man in my life. I’m happy with the way it is right now.” Marinette could almost see the exasperation in her friend’s face, but she refused to back down. No way would she go through another blind date like this one. “Besides, I’m going to be busy the next few weeks, helping you get your annual masquerade ready, remember?”

“Fine, you win this round, Dupain-Cheng, but I haven’t given up yet.”

The next few minutes they discussed the masks Chloe wanted along with the projected costs for all the masks Marinette would be making along with a few costumes for some attendees. All would be at Chloe’s expense as previously promised.

Hanging up minutes later, Marinette hailed a cab and rode toward the hotel where she’d planned to meet Chloe and obtain the credit card she’d been allotted for the event.

Settled in the cab, she didn’t see the glowing green eyes watching her. With a stealth he’d developed the past few years, he followed her across Paris toward the hotel, keeping out of sight by sticking to the shadows where he could find them.

When her cab pulled up to the hotel, an eerie feeling washed over her, but she shrugged it off, chalking it up to the unpalatable date she’d suffered not an hour earlier.

The feeling remained, however, as she soon exited the hotel, credit card tucked in her purse. Walking down the street toward one of her favorite fabric stores, she slipped into another shop and moved toward the back, praying the feeling would dissipate soon. She didn’t have the time for this, not with Chloe’s big event around the corner and all she had to complete for it.

A scuffle outside drew her attention though she remained rooted in place. Her eyes took in the scene, widening at the sight of her blind date standing one moment outside the window. How had he found her? Did he follow her from the restaurant? Surely he wasn’t crazy enough to do something so stalker-ish, right?

A black-clad arm with what looked like silver claws grabbed him up, taking him from her sight. What was happening? How was any of this possible?

She turned to the owner and asked, her voice bordering on desperate, “Do you have a back door?”

When he gestured toward it, she didn’t hesitate, her boots clacking against the tile in her haste. She slipped out the door, checking the little alleyway to ensure it was clear. Letting the door click behind her, she took off toward the rear door of the fabric shop, knowing the owners kept it unlocked during business hours.

“You’re safe. He won’t be bothering you again,” a voice called from somewhere behind her.

She glanced over her shoulder and found the alley empty. Slowing, she swiveled and scanned the alleyway, seeking the owner of the voice. It sounded so familiar, but she couldn’t place where she’d heard it before.

When her search produced nothing, she shook off the notion she knew that voice and stepped into the fabric shop. Her mission for Chloe’s masquerade returning to her conscience, she set about gaining everything she needed and a few other items that caught her eye for future designs.

00000

Sliding back into the shadows, he kept his eyes locked onto the young woman below him.

Her voice had captured his attention in the restaurant along with the scathing tones of her date. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, or maybe he had, but it hadn’t taken much to notice her natural detest for the man sitting opposite her. He wished he’d heard her name, wanting something he could hold onto, but her date hadn’t bothered to use it.

The swine, Chat Noir swore, a sneer creeping over his features. The man didn’t deserve the time he’d been granted with the young woman in the fabric store below him. She’d deserved a man who would wine and dine her, cherish her for her beauty and her intelligence, something Chat had glimpsed more than once beneath her controlled temper.

She’d made his dinner better by being in the restaurant, listening to the man across from her blathering on and on about his prowess as an investor and supposed Casanova.

Chat had silently applauded her ability to sidestep the man when he leaned closer to kiss her cheek, offering her hand instead, which he’d gawked at for far longer than any gentleman would’ve. When she’d dashed out of the restaurant, he’d caught the hunting gleam that entered the man’s eye and knew she might’ve found trouble she didn’t want or need in her life.

As much as Paris proclaimed Chat Noir a villain, he’d never stoop to hurting or threatening a woman. Stalking her as though she belonged to him made his stomach churn, spurring him out of his seat and abandoning the date his father had procured for him.

Sure, his date had been nice enough, but she hadn’t made him feel half as much as he’d felt protecting the woman without a name. If he played his cards right, could he possibly learn her name or would she forever remain nameless, lost to him in a sea of Parisian citizens?

He hoped not. The faint tug had been there, one he’d heard his mother speak of years before. His brother, too, had mentioned this elusive tugging shortly before his demise, suffering the same fate as their mother.

Shutting down those thoughts, he started at the vibrations coming from his baton.

“Great,” he muttered. “Just what I need. Another lecture.”

Pulling his baton from its holster, he grimaced at the name on the small screen. He knew what he had to do. To try and avoid his father would only lead to punishments he’d rather forgo whenever possible.

“Yes, Father?” he asked, connecting their communicators.

“Why aren’t you dining with Miss Tsurugi? You are there to make an impression, are you not?”

The leashed anger in his father’s voice might’ve scared him ten years ago, but he’d grown used to these moods and took them in stride, resignation settling over him like a comforting blanket.

“Something came up. Miss Tsurugi understood and has accepted a date in the near future. I have done nothing to jeopardize your business plans.”

A tinkling sound below brought his attention to the street level. Halting his conversation, he gazed over the awning and watched as a shop patron emerged below. With a sigh, he returned to his father. It hadn’t been her, necessitating him in ending the call with his father.

“You had better not. Don’t think I won’t take away your precious ring or your freedom. It’s a privilege I’ve afforded you, not a right you’ve earned.”

A promise rang clear in his father’s words. If he messed up, he’d come to regret it.

“How could I ever forget?” he mumbled beneath his breath.

“Make sure you don’t.” His father disconnected their call.

Tempted to toss his baton away, he took a calming breath and snapped it shut.

The tinkling sound returned as the first drops of a summer storm hit his shoulders and settled in his hair. The young woman emerged below him. Several bags weighed her down, but her shoulders remained squared and determined. No evening shower would stop her from her objective.

Good thing I came prepared, he thought, gripping an umbrella and tamping down the admiration bubbling within him.

Leaping to the ground below, he bit back a smile at the soft gasp she emitted.

“Care for an escort home?” he asked, popping the umbrella open and flashing her his most charming grin.


	2. In the Rain

That voice. Where had she heard that voice before?

Ignoring the painful tug at her wrists, she glanced over her shoulder and stared. Her mouth slackened at the man standing slightly behind her. Blinking rapidly, she tried to compute the information her mind took in, but it made little sense.

This couldn’t be possible.

Why would Paris’s newest supervillain be standing near her? Talking to her? What had she done to gain his notice? Was he here to help Hawk Moth akumatize her? Why? She was just an ordinary woman, but then, hadn’t all the other akumas been the same? Oh, why did Ladybug have to declare her retirement after the previous Chat Noir met his untimely end?

Her eyes closed as a wave of grief flashed through her at the loss Paris has suffered. A silent prayer went skyward that this new Chat Noir wouldn’t prove as villainous as reports had made him out to be. Surely, he wouldn’t be offering her an escort home if he were truly evil, right?

Opening her eyes, she took in the Chat Noir standing before. Her breath caught at the physical similarities he shared with the previous one. They had the same shade of blond hair with wild locks that picked up with the slightest breeze. His height and build were close to the old one’s but possibly a bit slimmer. His eyes were the same, brilliant green sclera peering straight into her eyes as though he possessed the ability to see into her soul.

As he shot her a devilish grin, she knew the physical was where their similarities ended. Oh, she really wished Ladybug would come back or possibly the new vigilante Alya had told her about the previous week. What had been their name? She wished she could remember. Maybe she should’ve paid closer attention to Alya’s enthusiastic prattling. It might’ve saved her at this moment.

“What’s the matter? Chat got your tongue?” He wore a cheeky grin as he swung his umbrella in a circular formation at his side.

She refused to answer him, turning her head back to the street ahead. The slight spattering of rain had become a heavy downpour. With a sigh, she glanced around her, hoping to find some solution to keep her and her supplies as dry as possible. No way would she accept the help of this imposter, this sad waste of a once-beloved superhero.

He had the nerve to chuckle under his breath. “Is that any way to treat someone who helped you out earlier? If it weren’t for me, you’d still be dodging that pathetic excuse of a date you had. Seriously, you should take better care of those you choose to date.”

Seething, she swiveled to confront him. Her anger died a quick death as her limbs became entangled, threatening to spill her and her bags into the pouring rain.

A firm hand caught her wrist and yanked her forward.

She let loose a surprised yelp, colliding into a solid chest. Warmth ignited her skin, leaving a blazing trail of rosy pink across her cheeks and the tips of her ears. Oh, this wasn’t supposed to happen. What would people say if they saw her wrapped up in a supervillain’s arms? This couldn’t be happening.

Releasing a mottle groan into his chest, she shoved away from him, taking care to remain upright despite her haste to put distance between them.

“Thank you.” The words slipped out of her mouth before she could call them back. Raising her eyes to meet his with reluctance, she bit down on her swift retort at seeing his amused expression. Instead, she settled for saying, “It would’ve been a big loss if my supplies had been ruined. So, thank you for saving them and me.”

His amusement didn’t quite disappear, she noted with some irritation, though his grin did shift into one that she could only assume was genuine. “Anytime, ma petite fleur.”

“Excuse me, but I’m not your little anything,” she huffed.

Such audacity from yet another prime example of an overwhelming ego. Would she ever get a break? What had she done to anger the gods so much that they allowed her to meet two bad guys in one day? She pondered a suitable sacrifice to appease them, something that would bring her life back to its happy existence of two days ago. Surely, she had something she could offer them. Right?

A silver claw tapped her shoulder, bringing her gaze back to the supervillain behind her. The sheepish expression he wore shook her in a way she never thought would be possible.

“You’re right. That was quite possessive, and I apologize.” He held up the umbrella in his other hand. “Let me make it up to you by escorting you home. No tricks or ulterior motives, I swear on my honor.”

Three clawed fingers raised between them. His sheepish expression disappeared, a new one taking its place. One she knew she couldn’t be reading correctly. It reminded her of a little boy she’d met long ago, a little boy who’d promised he’d protect her on the playground from her then-rival, Chloe. The memory called out to her to trust the man standing before her, waiting for her reply.

She had to be crazy to entertain his offer.

Alya and Chloe both would skin her alive if they knew she’d considered his offer with any seriousness. She could well imagine their shocked expressions, not to mention her parents. What would they say if they knew she had met this new Chat Noir and accepted his offer? Put herself in apparent danger with a known criminal like him?

Adjusting the bags on her wrists, she took a tentative step toward him.

“Okay.”

00000

“Okay?”

The question slipped out in his shock.

She accepted? Just like that? Why would she trust him when she’d fought his presence this entire time? What had she seen in him that would allow her to trust him? Geez, there must be something wrong with her. No one trusted him, including his father. Especially his father, he silently amended, recalling the threats spewed at him earlier for ditching his date at the restaurant.

Nodding, she repeated her answer, her lips tilting upward in a semi-smile.

That threatened to knock him down a few pegs. No one could be prepared for such a sweet look from this woman, he felt sure. It certainly packed a wallop, hitting him square in the chest.

Not daring to let her regret her choice, he spied the bags at her wrists and the angry red marks marring her skin. Such skin should never wear such marks, he thought, his next move growing clear in his mind and propelling him forward.

“What are you doing?” She stepped back on instinct, replacing the distance and then some between them. “You swore on your honor. Do you have so little that you’d backtrack the moment I agreed?”

“Such a sharp tongue. You could put Hawk Moth to shame,” he mumbled, feeling the sting of her words and hating it for the emotions it stirred in him. He’d thought them long dead with the fall of his mother and brother. Shoving the disappointment aside, he tugged on the closest bag. “My honor is intact. I was merely offering to take some of the weight off your wrists before you cause them more damage.”

“Oh,” she breathed, her face turning a lovely shade of rose. “I guess it’s my turn to apologize. It’s been a weird day. Still is if I’m being honest.”

Neither said a word as she handed over the bags and he took them. Whatever had possessed him to follow her and protect her continued to churn close to the surface. Something about her called to him, a memory long forgotten yearning to be recalled.

When her hand brushed his gloved one, he bristled and fought the strange urge to hiss at her. What was wrong with him? He’d never experienced such a contradictory set of emotions with anyone before. Could it be his kwami’s doing? Could it be controlling him in some way he hadn’t been aware before?

She didn’t appear to be an enemy. If anything, she’d be the perfect ally to his sullen kwami for the choices he’d made since accepting his role as supervillain. Was there something about her he wasn’t seeing that his kwami could?

Making note to ask later, he handed her the umbrella he’d brought and watched as she opened it to cover them both, her bags now digging into his wrists rather than hers.

“What’s all this stuff for anyway? An entire legion of supermodels would need less than this to be fully outfitted.”

Surprised laughter spilled out of her, enveloping him with its heartfelt merriment. The tinkling melody soothed his ruffled state.

Curiosity burned bright in her eyes as they met his, her lips resting in a genuine smile. “What do you know about supermodels?”

Returning her look with a cocky one of his own, he leaned toward her, close enough to have their breath mingling in the humid air. “More than you might think.”

Her eyes widened for a moment before she slid them toward the street, her blush blooming brighter across her freckled cheeks. He wondered for a moment how many she had. Another place and time, he might’ve had the right to ask if he could count them.

“The rain is letting up. We should probably get moving. It wouldn’t do either of our reputations to be seen together.” Her words came out on a whisper, her eyes darting between him and the street.

A few other pedestrians had begun emerging from shops to take their chances.

He hated her words despite their wisdom. He wanted more of her time, wanted more of her. Why, he couldn’t say.

Forcing aside his selfish desires, he nodded. “Lead the way, petite fleur.”


	3. Masks

“Adrien, are you listening? I don’t have time for your daydreams.” Gabriel’s voice boomed despite the lowered tone he used.

Adrien resented that tone the most. It spoke of endless disappointment, endless failure on his part. He wondered if he’d ever measure up in his father’s eyes. The thought hurt more than he cared to admit. A sad fact, he realized, to admit as an adult that he still craved his father’s approval, if not his love.

“Yes, sir,” he managed to mumble. His gaze dropped to the ring on his finger, twisting the cool metal with his other hand. “I won’t ditch Miss Tsurugi again. It was in poor taste on my part.”

Under his breath, he added, “Haven’t I already promised this every day for the past week?”

His father’s cool eyes regarded him for several seconds, each one more excruciating than the last. A small nod followed whatever information his father garnered from the assessment, his mouth in a perpetual thin line.

Dismissed, Adrien hurried toward his room. No one could know the relief he felt upon reaching the one refuge he had in his once-warm home. Sinking onto his bed, he fell back, his hands covering his face as a groan escaped him.

The prettiest blue eyes and sweetest smile greeted him. How one young woman could tempt him and make his heart melt in the short time he’d known her, he’d never know. The fact remained though that she haunted him while awake or asleep. It simply couldn’t be tolerated any longer. He needed some way to excise her from his thoughts and his life. She was a distraction he didn’t need or want.

“She’s too good for you,” his kwami said, his voice certain yet detached.

Sitting up, Adrien glared at the little black cat. “How would you know? You don’t know her.”

Plagg merely shrugged, turning his back. He floated through Adrien’s room and settled near a family portrait taken years ago.

Adrien hadn’t a clue why the little kwami kept going back to that portrait. Plagg refused to explain anything, his eyes narrowing to slits any time Adrien dared to ask. There wasn’t anything special about it as far as Adrien could tell. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. It’d been the last portrait they’d taken before his mother had fallen ill from something mysterious and his brother struck down.

His hands clenched into fists.

Ladybug. She’d caused all of this. First, she’d tried to steal something that belonged to his mother, breaking it and causing his mother to fall ill. Then, she’d come back and struck a nasty blow to his brother, leaving them both in a state of suspension. Stuck in limbo or frozen in time. Pick your cliché, he thought with dark humor.

“Come on,” he called to the tiny kwami, “I need a run.”

Magic flowed over him. He ignored the pang he felt at the sad eyes Plagg wore before disappearing into the ring. Time would come to handle that particular issue, but it wasn’t that time yet. He’d figure out how to make his kwami like him. He just needed to find the right angle to worm his way into the little creature’s good graces. Surely, it’d be easier than trying to reach his father’s standards and possibly earn his father’s love, right?

Cool evening air greeted him. A hint of promised rain lingered, reminding him of a previous storm and producing a soft smile with its memory.

That storm had brought a beautiful flower into his life. One who had refused his claim over her, making her more irresistible. No one ever stood up to him, not when he donned Chat Noir. Many feared what he might do with his claws or the baton at his back. Not her. She’d stood her ground, unwilling to let him stake his claim or take liberties she wouldn’t allow.

“I wonder what she’s up to,” he muttered to himself, launching himself toward the wall surrounding his home. Would she invite him inside or send him away?

His booted feet scaled the next several buildings, each one taking him farther from home. Not that it’d felt like a home in a long time, he thought with some sadness.

“We’ll bring them home. With those earrings, we can save them. We just need to find them.” The words became his mantra over the next few minutes. They repeated with each running step he took, their promise strengthening with each wild leap he took from one rooftop to the next.

The next vaulting leap set him on a balcony covered with flowers. Their fragrance beckoned him closer, offering peace to his tormented mind. He took a step toward a small cluster of post overflowing with healthy blooms. His hand stretched to touch one delicate bud when a surprised gasp and an upending chair halted his progress.

“What are you doing here?”

Oh, he’d know that voice anywhere. It’s haunted his dreams the past week.

A smile slid over his features as he murmured, “Hello, ma petite fleur.”

00000

She grunted at his words, fighting the chair she’d overturned in her surprise. How dare he come to her balcony and startle her? What right did this supervillain have in disrupting her life twice now?

“I’m not your anything,” she grumbled.

The chair lifted from her back, no longer keeping her trapped on her balcony. She whipped around to find his cheeky grin and brilliant green eyes staring down at her in amusement.

“I was just checking. You just never know. I’m fairly certain I could win you over if I tried.” He set the chair back in its original position beside her, his hand reaching toward her.

She ignored his outstretched hand and pushed herself to her feet. “Doubtful. I prefer my significant others to be law-abiding citizens, not villains and criminals.”

“Me-owch. That tongue of yours is remaining quite sharp, huh?” His cheeky grin didn’t disappear as he continued to watch her.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she repeated her earlier question in the hopes he might answer this time. She didn’t dare fidget as his gaze roved over her, not quite assessing yet not missing anything. Not having expected company on her balcony, she’d dressed in her comfiest clothing. No one would be seeing her oversized sweater or holey jeans but her, or so she thought.

“You’re hurt.” He motioned toward her shoulder where a small scratch had indeed appeared.

Stupid chair, she thought, wishing she’d replaced it as her mother suggested. She’d been too busy trying to save for her own place to worry about it, not wanting to part with her savings for anything unessential.

“Do you have a first-aid kit? I can clean it up for you.” His grin slipped for the first time as he drew nearer. His gloved hand hovered over her shoulder though it never touched her bared skin. “It was my fault that this happened. I’d like to make it right if I can.”

She stared up at him. An emotion she couldn’t name or refused to name lurked in his eyes. It called to her in the same way it’d called to her a week ago when she’d first met him. If she could resent an emotion, this one would be it, she admitted as she nodded her assent to his help. Only a fool would allow a supervillain into their home.

“I have one in my room.” She slid through the propped open skylight, her head poking back out to warn, “I’m trusting you. Don’t make me regret it.”

“On my honor, petite fleur.” 

Nibbling her lip as he slid into her room, she debated her next words before blurting, “My name’s Marinette, so stop calling me that awful pet name.”

“As you command,” he bowed deep, his eyes sparkling with mischief, “Marinette.”

“I already regret this.” She huffed, moving deeper into her room and pulling the kit from her desk drawer. “Can you hurry this along and leave? I have a lot to do still.”

His eyes widened at the mountain of masks strewn across her room. “I’d say so. Planning a big party, hmm?”

“Not me, no.”

“You’re so secretive, Marinette. Are you always like that or am I a special case?” He came around her and picked up the necessary supplies he’d need for her shoulder. His grin grew cheekier as their eyes briefly met.

“Hard to trust a supervillain. You never know when they might use something against you.” Her gaze dropped to her desk and the half-finished mask she’d been working on before her small break and impromptu visitor. She plucked it up and settled against her, hiding her features. “That mask could be hiding a mangy tomcat who preys on women with sharp tongues.”

“Mangy, huh?” His eyes narrowed as he concentrated rather hard on her shoulder’s small wound. “I guess I can’t convince you I’m actually a gentle cat, can I?”

He took his time in cleaning up the scratch with an alcohol wipe. Never once did she feel his claws against her skin, making her realize he could retract them like a real cat. When he had the bandage in place, he took a small step back, giving her space. His hand crept up to his nape and rubbed at his neck, his uncertainty almost endearing.

The look disappeared before she could say or do anything, replaced by his familiar cheeky grin. His hand snatched up a finished mask, his green eyes glowing behind the dark blue fabric. “You do amazing work, Marinette, but take care with that old lounge chair. Can’t have you scratching up your delicate skin. It’s much too purr-cious to this mangy stray.”

“I’ll show you delicate,” she mumbled, refusing to acknowledge the warmth encompassing her at his words. She grabbed a pillow from her chaise and hurled it at him. With little surprise, he set the mask down and caught the pillow before it could hit its target.

“Tsk, tsk, such a temper. You know that could get you in trouble if you’re not careful.” He stepped closer, dropping the pillow onto the chaise. His hand reached out to cup her cheek, but she recoiled. “Something tells me I’d hate to see you as one of Hawk Moth’s akumas. Though, I imagine we could create some real trouble together if you were.”

He shot her the sauciest wink she’d ever seen before he dashed to her window and slipped out, vaulting across the street.

It wouldn’t occur to her until later he’d taken a mask and her invitation to Chloe’s event.

“The absolute mangiest cat in all of Paris,” she muttered, recalculating the time it’d take to remake the mask he’d stolen. If she worked a little late each night, she could still finish in time, all while cursing Chat Noir for his villainy.


	4. Chloe’s Masquerade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank everyone for all the kind words. They meant a lot to me, and they went a long way to mending some of the frustrations and burnout I was feeling last week. I'm not at 100% by any means, but I'm moving in the right direction again, which is what I needed. 
> 
> At the beginning of this year, I made a promise to myself and to my readers that I would finish all my WIPs, so that's what I'm going to do. I'm not going anywhere for a good while because I do love this fandom and all the sweet people I've met through it. I also have several other stories that are aching to come to light that I haven't shown anyone yet. 
> 
> I'm not going to try and continue the breakneck speed I was pushing on myself before. I've been fighting the fact that I don't have the schedule any longer to tackle several projects at once anymore, but I'm coming to accept it. 
> 
> Instead of trying to tackle 6, 7, or even 10 projects a month, I'm going to pick 2 and stick to them until they are completed. For this month, I have this story and an original I'm prepping for NaNoWriMo. If I finish early, I'll look at my other projects and pick one up then. My goal with this is to have at least one new and one older WIP completed each month, one fanfic and one original. 
> 
> As a show of good faith that I'll be coming back, I'm leaving you with this cliffhanger of a chapter. So much is going to start happening with old questions being answered and new ones arising. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did in writing it.
> 
> I will do my best to have the next chapter ready for next Friday, resuming its weekly schedule.
> 
> *Quick Note: I made some small tweaks to the first couple of chapters, leaving a few more breadcrumbs for what's to come.

A couch had never been such a welcome sight before that evening.

She slid onto the cushions and slipped off her heels, her throbbing feet thankful for the reprieve. Her mask slipped down her nose, obscuring her view for a moment. Grasping the slick ribbons, she loosened the knot she’d made earlier and removed the mask. Cool air from the vent above her greeted her warmed skin, sending delicious shivers down her spine.

Sinking deeper into the cushions, she closed her eyes and breathed.

“Are you alright? Can I get you something to drink or eat possibly?”

The familiar voice hit her like a fully-loaded freight train.

She bit back an irritated moan as she grumbled, “Save your fake sympathy, you man—” Her eyes opened and spied the gentleman leaning over her, widening with surprise and halting her mid-speech. “Oh, I’m so terribly sorry. I thought you were someone else.”

The man’s features lit up with a smile. Green eyes shone with silent amusement. He leaned a bit closer, almost invading her space yet taking care to ensure he didn’t. It was a quality she hadn’t seen in most of the men attending the masquerade, anonymity loosening their inhibitions and manners.

A soft laugh spilled out of him. “I’ll admit I’ve heard that a time or two. No apology necessary. The offer stands though.”

“I’m fine. Just needed a moment.” She scooted over to give him room to sit, gesturing toward the empty space. “Please, sit. It looks like I’m not the only one who could use the rest.”

“You’re very sweet, but I doubt my date would approve of me sitting next to such a beautiful woman.” He motioned toward a woman standing near the dancefloor and watching the couples as they swayed to the latest song by Kitty Section. “I just wanted to check on you before I returned to her.”

She glanced behind him and nodded to the woman. “She’s very pretty. I hope you two have a lovely time.”

“Thank you,” he gave her a single nod, “and I hope the same for you, petite fleur.”

She gasped at the nickname, her gaze darting to his. The mischievous look she’d come to associate with one guy shone in his eyes before he turned away, leaving her to gape after him.

“You mangy, mangy cat,” she whispered beneath her breath. “You better not ruin this party for Chloe, or I’ll skin you alive.”

“What was that?” Alya asked, dropping beside her on the couch. “Oh, girl, my feet are going to need some serious TLC after this evening. You still coming to my place after this shindig is over? I have so much to show you. Have you seen the latest? Something weird is brewing in Paris.”

“You don’t say.” She kept her gaze on the civilian form of Paris’s newest supervillain.

“Hey, M,” a hand waved in front of her face, “what are you staring at? Some guy finally catch your eye, hmm? He must be something if you’re ignoring me.”

“Yeah, something,” she muttered, craning her neck as he slipped from her sight. “Great. What is he up to?”

“M, what are you doing?” Alya’s hand gripped her wrist, stalling her movements.

A rage-filled scream rent the air.

Marinette turned back to the dancefloor and gasped. A woman stood frozen in the middle of the floor, her date lying flat under her heel. Her face had contorted into a grotesque scowl while her hands had clenched into fists. One hand crushed a single rose, its stem snapping from the pressure and a few petals falling to the floor. 

“We have to get out of here,” she whispered.

Her fingers gripped Alya’s hand where it remained at her wrist and took off toward the nearest doorway. She refused to let go even as her friend resisted, wanting to return to the action and record it for her news blog.

“Alya, it’s not the time,” she said through gritted teeth. “We have to leave now.”

Alya ripped her arm away and stood her ground. “I’m not leaving Nino, M. Go ahead and get to safety. I’ll be right behind you. I promise.”

Before she could respond, Alya had wrenched herself free and taken off, returning to the ballroom and the cacophony within.

“Come,” an arm wrapped around her waist and tugged her close, “you’ll be safe over here.”

She glanced into Chat’s determined face as he dragged her toward a small janitor’s closet. She fought his hold, but he merely tightened his grip, opening the door with his other hand. With a shove, she cleared the threshold, the door slamming and locking behind her.

“Let me out,” she shouted, stumbling forward pound her fists against the solid door. “Chat Noir, let me out this instant.

She jiggled the handle and cursed her luck for allowing him to lock her inside the small closet. Glancing around, she spied a flathead screwdriver sitting on a lone shelf and plucked it up. If she couldn’t get past the lock itself, then she’d tackle the hinges. She couldn’t leave Alya alone with an akuma and a supervillain. No telling what trouble her friend would find.

Before she could set about her task, the lock clicked and the door opened to a surprising sight.

“Ladybug?”

The spotted heroine shook her head and pointed to the ballroom. “Now’s not the time. Distract Chat Noir while I handle the akuma. I’ll explain everything later, but you must do this now. Please, Marinette. I can’t do this without you.”

Taking Ladybug at her word, she hurried forward, gasping at the sight she discovered, racing forward on stockinged feet. She sent a silent prayer skyward, hoping she wouldn’t be too late.

00000

With Kagami and Marinette tucked away and safe, he could tackle whatever game plan Hawk Moth had with this akuma.

“Don’t know why we’re bothering. Ladybug’s not coming back,” he muttered, his eyes scanning the few stragglers within the large room.

The akuma continued to rage at her date, her sharp heel digging into his abdomen. Her scathing words threatened to singe the tips of Chat’s cat ears as she hurled accusation after accusation at the poor guy.

The guy had curled in on himself. Blathering platitudes poured from his lips with each new whimper of pain. Chat almost felt sorry for him if he hadn’t overheard the guy spouting lies the entire evening to the woman now akumatized.

A head peeked over an upended table along with a phone he’d come to recognize.

Striding over, he offered the woman a smirk. “Fancy meeting you here again, Ladyblogger. You shouldn’t be here, you know. What would your friends say?”

“Probably the same as yours, but you don’t listen, either, do you?”

“It helps I don’t have any. Stay down and out of sight, got it?”

He pushed away and headed back to the akuma, intent on refocusing her to please his father. The man’s patience had been thinning more with each lack of Ladybug sighting though his conviction in her continued presence remained strong. If his father was right, then she’d have to show sometime or another. Right?

Scanning the room again, he sighed. No Ladybug in sight.

The akuma raised the feather-boa-turned-whip and swung it hard at the man beneath her, turning him into a marble slab. Quite fitting, he thought, as the man’s smoothness could only be matched by the stone itself.

Furious, she turned her attention to the other attendees, intent on finding another victim. She found one as a young man crawled between another set of overturned tables. Without further prompting, she leaped toward him and hauled him back to the dancefloor, casting him into a statue for his supposed misdeeds.

As she set her gaze for a third victim, Chat Noir stepped in front of her. Hands raising in peaceful surrender, he softened his tone into a placating one. “Whoa there. Before we rock and roll the remaining guests, shouldn’t we get on the same page?”

“I don’t have time for pathetic kittens.” She scowled at him, her hand tightening on her weapon. “I’d much rather make you a pretty statue and keep moving.”

“Now, now, no need to bare your claws. I’m sure we can work together to get what we both want.” His hand lowered between them. “Partners?”

She shot him a sweet smile as she appeared to consider his offer, only to swing her whip at him and missing him by mere centimeters. “I work alone.”

Her whip raised high over her head, ready to strike again.

He went for his baton, ready to take her if it came to that.

Movement in his periphery pulled him up short as he recognized the blur moving toward the akuma herself. Stockinged feet slid across the floor as the whip came down yet never touched him.

A pained hiss rent the air around him, an angry welt appearing on her skin.

Shock coursed through him at her appearance. So many questions swirled in his mind, but he managed to focus in time to see the whip rear back for another strike. The akuma’s triumphant expression had twisted into rage at the young woman standing unaffected.

“Cataclysm.” The magic bubbled in his right hand, striking out first and dissolving the whip before the akuma’s horrified gaze. His first warning beep reminded him of borrowed time.

Stalking toward the akuma, he watched with growing anger as she backed away, her eyes wide and confused. Fear shown in them at the fury he was certain had become etched in his features.

“What? How? I don’t understand,” she pleaded.

“Doesn’t matter,” he spat, continuing his advance. “Release her now, Hawk Moth. I know you’re listening and watching. Ladybug isn’t coming. Let this woman go. She’s useless.” 

The butterfly flitted out of her clenched fist, the rose drooping as several wilted petals floated to the floor. Dark purple bubbles dissolved the magic surrounding her, leaving her a pile of confusion and heartache. She collapsed in tears, her hands covering her face.

His baton rang. His father, he had no doubt, but he ignored it. Explanations could wait.

Marinette couldn’t.

Turning, he spotted her standing where he’d left her, the ashes of the destroyed whip covering her in a fine layer. An angry welt pulled his attention to the same shoulder he’d doctored the week before.

Without asking her permission, he swept her into his arms and carried her from the room, his stride lengthening as they passed onlookers and returning guests. He didn’t care though, his attention focused solely on the woman in his arms.

Outside, a breeze whipped around them, raising gooseflesh on her skin. Dragging her impossibly closer, he offered what warmth he could from his body. He regretted not removing his tuxedo jacket before transforming. With few options, he removed his baton and propelled them skyward, a silent promise to have her safe and home soon.

“Only a fool would’ve done something so stupid,” he groused at her, his hold tightening around her. “I wouldn’t have you pegged for a fool.”


	5. The Beginning of a Long Evening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will be two-parts. A lot is about to go down between the characters and will be setting up events for the rest of the story. Sorry for the double cliffhanger, but I will make it up to you next week.
> 
> If you missed the added note from Chapter 4, there are some tweaks to earlier chapters if you'd like to go back and reread them. A couple of new breadcrumbs were put in. Breadcrumbs will continue to be sprinkled throughout this romantic suspense story.
> 
> I'm currently knee-deep in prepping for NaNoWriMo, but I will be continuing this story as I work on my NaNo project with updates to continue on a weekly basis. Expect the next part next Friday.

If she could remove her arms from his neck and not fear falling, she would’ve crossed her arms and huffed at him. At least, that’s what she told herself as she settled for an unladylike snort at his reprimand.

His eyes glittered dangerously against the darkening skyline, yet she didn’t fear him or his tumultuous mood. Under the sharp words, she heard a note of something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. She didn’t dare try to dwell, sensing that territory far more dangerous than his mood.

“Her whip only worked on men. Despite the sting, it wouldn’t have affected me,” she said in a low voice. “Can’t blame her, either, I guess. Her date was a complete tool. I caught him flirting with almost every woman he could find unattached.”

“Did he say or do anything to you?” His eyes met hers briefly, returning to his trek and keeping them safe. That moment was enough. They burned bright with masculine anger and a hint of protectiveness.

She shook her head. “No, but I did seem to catch the attention of a mangy cat yet again.”

His lips curved while his arms tightened, securing her in his grip. Before she could protest, he vaulted across a particularly large alleyway, her arms tightening around his neck. A squeak escaped her at the rush of wind that whipped around them, raising more gooseflesh across her skin.

“We’re almost there,” he whispered in her ear. “Be sure to take care of that shoulder before it gets infected.”

One last vault had them dropping over the railing of her balcony.

His arms loosened with reluctance, almost as if he didn’t want to leave her.

A beep from his ring pulled a sigh from him. She slid down his length until her feet hit the ground, his hands at her waist. He regarded her for a moment, his features shifting into a thoughtful frown.

“How did you get out of that closet? I locked it from the outside.” His head tilted in question. “You don’t strike me as someone with lockpicking skills.”

“I have many skills you don’t know about.” She shifted away from him, the lie slipping past her lips as she added, “I took out the hinges. Easy enough to do with a screwdriver and a bit of time on your hands.”

He regarded her for a moment. His scrutiny proved almost too much, her skin prickling, before a smile curved his lips. His eyes sparkled with a look that she’d come to attribute as his normal state with her, flirty and casual. Why he was this way with her, she couldn’t say, but she’d come to accept it in the short time they’d known each other.

His ring beeped again.

“I hate to cut and run, but this cat is about to turn into a pumpkin.” Grabbing her hand, he raised it to his lips, brushing a simple kiss across her knuckles. With a wink, he added, “Until next time, Marinette.”

She managed to stop the gasp before it slipped out, unprepared for the emotions and warmth overwhelming her. His touch had yet to affect her on this level, so what had changed? He was still a villain in the eyes of every Parisian resident, including her. He probably flirted with hundreds of other women, including the date he’d brought to Chloe’s event.

The reminder brought her back, her hand slipping from his.

“Goodbye, Chat Noir.”

She turned away from him, intent on reaching the safety of her room.

“Extend my apologies to your date. I’m sure she’s quite curious why you’ve disappeared from her side after an akuma attack.”

He cursed and shot over her railing, propelling himself the few blocks to the hotel.

Her sigh did escape then.

Chat Noir was a conundrum of the greatest magnitude and put her emotions into a state she’d never experienced before. She couldn’t say she enjoyed it, either.

Deciding it best not to dwell, she took another step toward her skylight but paused as a new sensation crept over her.

She wasn’t alone.

A glance toward the chimney stack proved her suspicion correct.

“I hope your story is a good one, Ladybug. You owe a lot of people an explanation for your disappearance when we’ve needed you the most.” She lifted the skylight and slipped inside, leaving it propped open for the superheroine.

“I’ll do my best,” Ladybug slipped inside the room. Dropping in the space next to Marinette, she offered a small smile, adding, “First, your shoulder.”

00000

Green light washed over him as his boots thudded against the graveled alleyway outside the hotel. He sent up silent gratitude for having enough luck to get him back before time ran out.

Checking his mask, he strode from the shadows and searched the departing crowd for Kagami. A slow smile spread across his features when he spotted her near the valet stand, talking with a few other guests from the masquerade.

He wound his way through the crowd and touched her elbow, ready to throw down some serious apologies for his disappearance.

Her cool and assessing gaze stopped him.

“We should talk,” he said after an awkward moment passed between them.

She nodded. “Yes, we should.”

Motioning toward a small alcove inside the hotel, he led her away from the milling guests and the valet station. His hand rested near the small of her back, not quite touching yet guiding her toward their destination. His distracted state silently thanked her for wearing a high-back dress, keeping their skin separated through a thick layer of fabric.

His tongue swiped at his lip, doing his best to ignore the growing fluttering in his gut.

Vanilla. He could still taste the faint traces of vanilla from Marinette’s hand.

His tongue took another quick lick of his lips, hoping to keep the taste alive for as long as possible. With his evening effectively ruined and his hellish night just beginning, he’d take all the comfort that was Marinette he could get.

A cleared throat brought his thoughts back to the present.

Kagami’s brow arched as she regarded him with stony silence. Her arms had crossed over her chest and her head tilted in such a way to know she was listening and waiting.

Words failed him.

All explanations and excuses he’d built up the last few minutes vanished. They’d deserted him, leaving him to flounder in front of her.

“You’re not interested in me.”

The words came out flat, honest. No hint of a question lay within them.

He met her gaze, knowing she deserved as much and more. She deserved his honesty and a forthright answer.

With a soft exhale, he pushed the bitter but truthful words past his frozen lips, “No, I’m not.”

“Then, I will bid you goodnight, Adrien, and good luck with the woman whose attention you do want.”

She moved to sidestep him, but he reached out and caught her upper arm in a loose grip. Panic filled him at the thought of her disappearing and having to tell his father he’d failed in another way. Again.

“I can’t give you romance, but I can be your friend. I do like you, Kagami.”

Her cool gaze met his, boring into him and seeing further than he let most. Vulnerability crept in, a rarity in his world most days yet almost welcome as he awaited Kagami’s decision. Her features didn’t change as she continued to study him as though he were an interesting specimen on a microscope slide.

“Your father won’t be happy if I were to ask Mother to forget their fledgling contract.”

“He would be most disappointed, yes.” Not to mention almost murderous, but he kept that tidbit to himself. No need for Kagami to worry about him when she owed him nothing.

“It’s not always easy living with a parent’s high expectations,” she whispered, her voice dropping lower than it’d been moments ago. She grew quiet, contemplative. When she came to a decision after a short silence, her voice grew firmer with her conviction. “I will keep your secret and accept your friendship, Adrien. All I ask is you be careful. You’re playing a dangerous game, especially with that innocent woman you carried off earlier.”

“You –”

“Know?” She had the nerve to smile, setting his heart racing and his nerves jangling. “Yes, and it’ll remain safe with me. No catch or expectations. On my honor. I hope to see you again soon, Adrien, as a friend. I’m curious to know more about this woman who’s captured your attention.”

A bit unnerved, he managed to say, “She’s just an acquaintance, nothing more.”

“If you say so.” She offered him a small wave and disappeared through the hotel’s front doors, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Recalling his kwami, he nodded at a passing bellhop and worked his way toward the nearest bathroom. With a casualness born from becoming Chat Noir, he nicked some cheese from a forgotten tray along the way, the lukewarm wedge undamaged from earlier guests. A few more steps had him inside the plush room with the door lock sliding into place.

With a practiced movement, he had his jacket unbuttoned and his inner pocket exposed. He held the wedge out for Plagg to take as he offered an apologetic smile for forgetting the little creature for so long.

“Plagg, I –”

His phone interrupted him, his father’s unique ringtone filling him with dread.

Time to face the music, he thought, reaching for the small device in his pocket. Knowing he couldn’t run from this impending situation, he put his phone next to his ear, having accepted the call.

“Hello, Father.”


	6. Punishments and Explanations

The conversation lasted a scorching thirty seconds. Not that anyone would classify his father's ranting at him a conversation. His ear burned while his phone rested against it. The slight tremor of his hand could be ignored though his father's tone would take longer to forget, if he ever did. That scathing tone would forever be imprinted in his mind and his memory, reminding him of all the times he'd incurred his father's deepest disappointment and anger by not measuring up. 

Recalling his phone's position, he dropped his hand and locked the screen. With a glance at his kwami, he fought to conceal his surprise at his kwami’s expression. It almost reminded him of sympathy, but that couldn't possibly be. Plagg couldn't stand him since he wasn't anything like Plagg's previous holder, another disappointment to someone else in Adrien's life. 

"We should go," he muttered, unsure what else he could say at that moment.

Plagg nodded, flying out of the pocket he'd claimed in the tuxedo jacket. The piece of cheese Adrien had brought remained in his paws, forgotten as he regarded his holder. 

"Come on, Plagg. Eat," he urged by motioning toward the small chunk. "I don't know if you'll get the chance when we get back to the mansion."

Plagg took a bite, his luminous green gaze never leaving Adrien's face. The piercing look threatened to unnerve the blond man while the kwami continued to chew his food in a languid fashion. It didn't end until Plagg had run out of cheese though it did morph into something akin to determination and maybe even a bit of plotting deviousness.

Adrien didn't dare ask what the small creature had planned. He sensed it would be safer not knowing the inner workings of Plagg's mind. After all, Plagg wasn't the kwami of destruction for nothing as Adrien witnessed with each use of his cataclysm ability.

"Alright, we should get back," he mumbled under his breath and called for his transformation.

Bright green magic flowed over him, encasing him in his super suit.

Pulling his baton from his back, he extended it and readied himself for his first vaulting leap. 

A warming sensation emanated from his ring, pausing him movements and bringing his gaze to the black metal. His eyes widened as the metal heated further and began to glow against his black suit. 

"What in the world?" 

An urgent warning shouted in his mind. Get going, it screamed.

Recalling his father's warning to return home to face his punishment, he shook his head and leaped toward the nearest rooftop. His booted feet barely touched the crunchy gravel before he took off, dashing toward his next destination across the alleyway. 

Wind whipped around him and kept him moving forward with its chilly temp. It spurred him to seek out the warm bedding awaiting him at home. A sweet, sugary scent encompassed him as he neared the bakery that belonged to Marinette's family. The pull almost magnetic, but he resisted the warmth of her home and the wind's tantalizing trail. 

It wouldn't do him any good to keep his father waiting. The man's anger was legendary with his family, his staff, and his company's employees. To defy or evoke that anger wasn't something anyone did on a willing basis. It would most certainly mean unemployment for staff or punishment for his sons that went beyond even the most normal disciplinary actions other parents would take. 

Dropping into his room through the cracked window he'd left himself earlier, he called off his transformation. As the magic ebbed away, he took the few free moments he had to himself to exchange his tuxedo for a pair of jeans and a designer tee. 

A glance at his ring showed the shiny silver resting in its usual place. What caught his curiosity was the angry tinting to the skin beneath. 

"What did you do?" he asked beneath his breath.

The walls had ears, he knew. Better not to alert his father or Nathalie to his presence before he was ready. 

"A curse or blessing depending on how you look at it," Plagg answered in his cryptic fashion. 

White butterflies swarmed his room, surrounding him and his kwami with their excited fluttering. 

"Hello, Father." 

No answer came, but then, he hadn't expected one. His father's anger could be felt in the butterflies' tiny flaps. The trap might look benign from the outside but breaking through proved near impossible when the little vessels radiated with his father's mercurial wrath. 

"I did apologize to Kagami, and we're going to remain friends. Neither of us is interested in anything more." The proffered words did little to change the mask his father wore. "I'll accept whatever punishment you have in store, but I wasn't wrong about tonight. Ladybug wasn't going to show. She hasn't in the months, not since you handed me my miraculous." 

"You ignorant fool, you missed what was right in front of you because of some fancy you've taken with that girl." Disdain dripped on the last word. "Ladybug was there. She was within your grasp." 

"Impossible." He thought back to the party and searched the guests, but no one fit the super-heroine in his mind. "You're wrong."

His father's fists clenched at his denial.

Adrien flinched. 

The older man forced himself to calm down. His demeanor had become that of a disapproving parent, but his voice continued to drip venom. His hand came out, his palm expectant as he said, "Your ring. Now."

Knowing the futility of arguing, Adrien reached for the ring and tugged. It didn't budge. He tugged harder without success. 

"I'm not in the mood for games," his father huffed. "Hand over the ring. You're grounded for the next month. I'll handle Ladybug on my own."

Glancing at Plagg, his kwami's earlier words came back to him.

With new understanding, Adrien turned back to his father with a chagrined expression. 

"I'm sorry, Father, but the ring stays with me. It's been cursed, and I'm unsure how to break it."

His father left the room, slamming the door behind him. 

The door lock clicked into place. A moment later, his windows sealed shut via the mansion's security system. 

Adrien was well and truly trapped within his room. 

Walking toward the window, he leaned against the cool glass, his gaze staring in the direction of the bakery. 

"I hope she's okay, Plagg," he whispered. 

Plagg landed on his shoulder and nuzzled against Adrien's neck, the first time the kwami had willingly touched him. "I'm sure she will be, kid."

00000

"Um, Ladybug?" Marinette asked, having watched the spotted superhero pace her room the last ten minutes. She'd lost count of how many times Ladybug had gone back and forth from the trap door to her giant window overlooking the street below. Fearing for her rug, she gestured at the first aid kit she'd used not long ago with Chat's help, adding, "My shoulder?"

"Right." Ladybug smacked her forehead and stepped toward the chair where Marinette sat. "Sorry, I guess I'm a bit nervous. I'm not used to a civilian demanding to know my secrets. Well, the more important secrets anyway."

"It's not like I need to know your identity," Marinette said in her defense, "but I do think you owe Paris an explanation. You said you retired on national TV, leaving us to deal with Hawk Moth on our own, yet here you stand in front of me. You were ready to take that akuma down, too. Why now? Where have you been? Don't you have any loyalty anymore?"

The astringent sting of antiseptic hit her shoulder. 

She hissed. 

"Sorry," Ladybug whispered. "I wanted it clean before I bandaged you."

"It's fine. I'm used to these types of scrapes and bruises." Marinette settled her gaze on the heroine and caught a smirk sliding across Ladybug's features. A smirk that seemed awfully familiar to her, but she quickly shook away the notion. No way was it possible for her to know Ladybug in her civilian form, right? "So, are you going to answer my questions or not?"

Ladybug chuckled. "You would make a great superhero, Marinette. Your tenacity and even your creativeness are perfect makings of one." 

"Doubtful." Marinette glanced away for a moment. "You're evading."

Ladybug's smirk slid into a smile as she nodded and continued swabbing Marinette's shoulder. "I am. Sorry. It's always worked with reporters."

Deciding to switch tactics, Marinette asked, "Do you know why Chat Noir has set his sights on me? I mean, he's a villain and has no reason to target me unless he wanted to take something, but he hasn't done anything like that. In fact, he's quite civil despite being quite annoying. Any ideas why?"

"I have my suspicions, but I wasn't sure until tonight. Seeing the way he focused on you at the party after you stepped in front of the akuma confirmed it." Ladybug plucked a bandage from the kit and removed the wrapping. "The unique thing about the Black Cat and the Ladybug is that they are soulmates, perfect halves of a whole. I found mine with the previous Chat, but I think this new Chat has found his in you."

Ladybug could've smacked Marinette with the yoyo at her waist. It would've had less impact than her words. 

Unable to think of a logical argument against such a notion, Marinette settled on saying, "That's impossible. I'm not Ladybug, and I'm not Ladybug material."

"That's where you're wrong, dear Marinette." Ladybug set the bandage on her shoulder and checked it over, ensuring her work wouldn't be displaced anytime soon. "You would make an amazing Ladybug, possibly even be better at it than I ever was."

"You're not serious? You would give up Ladybug? Just like that?" Her mind reeled, uncomprehending the words Ladybug spoke to her. Soulmates? Her possibly being Ladybug? How much weirder could this night get, she couldn't help asking herself. 

For her part, Ladybug remained silent on the matter. Instead, she picked up the first aid kit and tidied up the supplies within their designated slots. Satisfied with her work, she crouched beside Marinette's chair and placed the kit back in its proper desk drawer. 

"I had to tell Paris I was retiring. After Hawk Moth took down my Chat, he stole Chat's ring. He almost had me, too, but I managed to get away, leaving my partner behind. He forced my hand, pushing me to work within the shadows." She paused to take a deep breath. "It killed me to leave him, but by doing so, I gained some important information about Hawk Moth and this new Chat. Information I can only share with the Ladybug that will need to take my place."

Marinette stared at her, transfixed. The words continued to swirl within her confused mind. The picture had grown a bit clearer, but a few pieces were missing to complete it. 

Ladybug's hand shot out and clasped around Marinette's, gripping it tight.

"There is a Guardian to the Miraculous, one who knew I wasn't meant to be Ladybug, but he'd had no other choice. The true Ladybug holder was far too young to take on the responsibility. I have since learned who should've been that Ladybug, having become the new Guardian myself." Her gaze met Marinette's, an earnestness and resolve emanating from it. "You are that Ladybug, Marinette. I knew the truth, but I hadn't accepted it until tonight. Watching you think on your feet and work to protect Chat Noir from harm proved you are the true holder." 

She shook her head vigorously, pushing away from the heroine and out of her chair. This time, she paced her room. This latest information proved almost too much for her. No way could she be a superhero. She was ordinary, everyday Marinette. She had a calm life with a family and friends she adored. 

She paused in her musings and turned to Ladybug, her resolving stiffening her spine. "You've got the wrong person. There's been a simple mistake made. I'm not the true holder of anything, and I'm most certainly not Chat Noir's soulmate."

"There's no mistake, and deep down, you know I'm right," Ladybug stepped toward her, her hand reaching out. 

With a few words, bright pink lights flared, and the magic suit disappeared. 

Marinette gasped when she opened her eyes and caught sight of Ladybug in her civilian form.

"It can't be," she whispered. "Bridgette?"

"Hi, sis."


	7. A Warning and a Surprise

If anyone asked, Marinette wouldn't recall how the pillow had ended up in her hand, but she'd recalled the look on Bridgette's face when it hit her square in the cheek. 

"You jerk," Marinette shouted. "We've been worried sick about you. You just disappeared on us with only a one-line note. What kind of inconsiderate crap is that? We're supposed to be closer than BFFs, Bridge, and yet you left me. How could you do that? To me? To Mom and Dad?"

Bridgette didn't answer her right away. She stood frozen across from Marinette, her hands at her sides. Her face became a movie screen, showcasing every emotion Bridgette possessed. 

Marinette watched those tumultuous emotions flitting across her sister's features and wondered briefly what all Bridgette had been through in the time she'd been underground. Her anger drained away as relief flooded her. Bridgette was home and safe again. Wasn't that all that mattered anyway?

Hurrying forward to close the distance between them, Marinette flung her arms around her sister. She squeezed tight, not caring if she cut off Bridgette's oxygen supply. She didn't loosen her hold until Bridgette sought mercy.

"You're home," she said into Bridgette's neck. "I've missed you so much." 

"I've missed you, too." Bridgette's arms tightened around Marinette's waist. "I wish I could've told you what was going on, but I had to keep you safe. I couldn't handle Hawk Moth taking away another I loved. I just couldn't, Mari. Please, tell me you understand."

A large lump had formed in Marinette's throat, but she managed to push past it to say, "I think I do."

Neither saw the butterfly flitting into the room. 

"You can't disappear again. You he--" 

Marinette didn't get the chance to finish as dark magic swelled within her, encasing her in a shell that blocked out anything and everything. She thought she could make out Bridgette's voice, but it sounded so far away, almost like she'd gone through a tunnel without leaving the safety of her bedroom. 

Arms tightened around her, keeping her grounded despite the allure of the magic her.

"Hello, Marinette, I'm Hawk Moth," a voice murmured in her ear. 

"What do you want?" She spat the words, realizing belatedly what was happening. "Whatever you're selling, I'm not interested. I won't become one of your victims."

He laughed as though the thought hadn't occurred to him. Its jeering sound rankled, but she fought to control herself and her emotions. 

"I have no intention of making you my next akuma. I'm in the mood talk negotiations with you." 

Something in his tone put her on alert. Her arms tightened around the warm body she'd been holding earlier, keeping Bridgette close to her.

"What type of negotiations? What could I possibly want to do for you?" She didn't try and hold back the rising anger and indignation she felt at his presumption she'd be willing to negotiate.

His laugh filtered through the haze of her anger. The magic he'd poured into her from one of his akumas swelled to a crescendo, its power alluring, even tempting to accept. 

"You would make a fascinating villain, Marinette," he paused, his voice sharing his contemplative mood, "but I fear that'll have to wait another day. I have more pressing matters to discuss with you. No, we need to discuss your relationship with Chat Noir and how I can sever it permanently."

"Chat? We don't have a relationship." That wasn't quite true, she knew after what she'd learned, but she'd be damned if she'd tell Hawk Moth any of that. "He's all yours, right? He's working with you. I want nothing to do with any supervillain who believes hurting people like you two are is okay. Paris deserves so much better."

His laughter turned into an amused chuckle though it didn't quite hold back the malice entering his voice.

"We both know that isn't true, either, is it, Marinette? He's become preoccupied with you, seeking you out and protecting you. I know what happened at the ball, witnessed it all first-hand with my villain. You can't fool me. There are feelings between you, and they need to be severed now. So, name your price. Then, we can part ways amicably."

The threat wasn't lost on her, but she couldn't, wouldn't agree to anything he had to offer. 

"Chat Noir is his own person. If he doesn't want to see me, then he doesn't have to. I didn't ask for his attention, but I won't turn him away, either. He's not all evil, not like you are." Her nails dug into the soft flesh of Bridgette's arms, fighting the darkness threatening to overwhelm her.

"If we can't agree or you refuse to stop this nonsense, then I'll be left no choice. I will take matters into my own hands. I can't guarantee that these matters won't include the harm of a loved one for you, Marinette." His voice had lost all evidence of cajoling, leaving only malice in its place. 

She bit her lip. Wavering, she tried to find some way out of this tight spot while also remaining ahead of this horrible villain.

It hit her a moment later how she could win without him suspecting.

Using her best-defeated tone, she said, "Fine, Hawk Moth, he's all yours. I, Marinette, won't see Chat Noir again."

The connection broke between them, the magic ebbing away. A tiny butterfly flitted from her hair ribbon, its typical dark color now pale in the room's lighting. 

"Mari, you okay?" Bridgette asked, taking Marinette's cheeks in her hands. She moved Marinette one way and another, checking her over for any lasting damage. "I couldn't find where he'd hidden the akuma or I would've helped you sooner. What was he trying to do? Did he threaten you?"

"Let go," she mumbled between her pursed lips, "I can't talk like this." 

Bridgette let go but with great reluctance.

Rubbing at the soreness in her cheeks and neck, Marinette walked toward her chair and sank down, her mind racing with all she'd learned and her next steps.

"Mari, talk. Tell me what he did, what he said," Bridgette said, using her big sister voice.

Marinette glanced up and caught the worried lines streaking across Bridgette's face, her mind growing clearer on what she needed to do next. She motioned toward her chaise and said in a calm voice, "Tell me all I need to know about being Ladybug. No way is Hawk Moth getting away with his crap much longer."

Bridgette nodded. "With you as Ladybug, he won't stand a chance. Glad to have you onboard."

00000

"You'll have an hour to visit upon our arrival, Adrien. Your father is expecting you back at the mansion this evening for dinner." Nathalie kept her gaze locked on the tablet in her hands as she spoke. "You'll be expected to remain under strict instruction until he feels your loyalty to him once more. He has also expressed severe consequences should you reach out to that young woman again. Do you understand these terms?"

His hand drifted along the wind currents outside the open window of the moving limo. He watched it with a languidness that belied the excitement singing in his blood. Freedom. No longer locked inside his room like an insolent child who refused to do his homework. If he focused on his hand's movements through the currents, he could almost pretend that his life wasn't as bad as it truly was. That his father might possibly still care about him and want what's best for him.

"Adrien," Nathalie's tone changed from monotonous to irritated, "did you hear me? I need confirmation you understand your father's terms, or I'll be forced to deny your outing today." 

"I'm twenty-two years old," he muttered under his breath, his annoyance rising at being disturbed by his father's assistant. 

When she shot him an impatient and mildly threatening look, he sighed, knowing she'd tell their driver to turn around. He'd worked too hard to earn this outing on this day to have it jeopardized by his desire to be petty.

"I heard you, and I agree to the terms." _No matter if those terms are ridiculous and more suited to a teenager than an actual adult._

Her head gave a single nod while her attention returned to the tablet, her duties concerning him complete. 

Unable to focus on the wind currents and the freedom they'd given him moments ago, he rolled up with the window and sank back into the plush cushions. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine the last time he'd been happy, a time when he didn't have a care in the world weighing him down. 

An image of bright blue eyes and hair the color of raven feathers flitted through his mind. 

He shook his head to clear it.

No good would come of thinking about her. She'd already made it clear she wanted little to do with him, and his father's new edict made visiting her impossible if he wanted to keep his freedom. If thoughts about her welfare and her activities had come to him at odd times over the past week, then it couldn't have been helped. He worried about her and maybe, possibly, longed to see her for himself, assure himself she was fine after the hoopla at the ball. 

His lips spread into a grin as he recalled how she'd jumped into the fray and saved him from becoming a victim of his father's akumatized villain. No one had ever done anything like that for him, not his mother when he'd been little. Surely, that had to mean she cared the tiniest bit about him, even if it's on an acquaintance level. 

"We're here," Nathalie announced, breaking into his thoughts. "Remember, Adrien, one hour."

He nodded and grabbed up the gifts he'd brought. The driver held the door open and nodded as he stepped out. Adrien took a moment to appreciate his surroundings and the cool breeze flitting through the nearby trees around Centre D'Espoir. 

Without wasting his time, he strode into the center and walked past the welcome desk, knowing the layout as well as his own home. His steps made soft reverberations through the hall, not enough to disturb the residents yet enough to provide some comfort to his wilder desires. 

"Morning, Mother," he said in a soft tone as he entered the room at the end of the hall. "Hey, Fe. Long time, no see, huh?"

He set their gifts on the table between them before sinking into the chair the nurses had gotten him from one of the doctor's offices. The amount of time he spent with his mother and brother had afforded him favors he hadn't sought out but greatly appreciated from the friendly and efficient staff. 

"Happy birthday, Mother." He forced himself to breathe, his anxiety from the past week rising with his need to unleash it all. "I wish I could've been here earlier, but I disappointed Father. I know how you'd respond to that, but I couldn't agree with his course of action. I'm not sure I agree with it anymore. I'm so confused."

His one-sided conversation lasted for several minutes, letting loose all he'd had pent up from his time in confinement. At one point, he'd pushed to his feet and paced the room as he talked about all he'd witnessed in the past few weeks and even touched on Marinette. Her name had brought a smile to his lips, allowing him a moment of reprieve from the burdens weighing him down.

"I want you back as much as Father. I'd do almost anything to get you both back," he paused, unsure how much the walls of this place could hear. Better to be cautious, he thought, adding in a lowered tone, "I just don't know if I agree with Father's plan anymore. I wish you could talk to me, Fe. You would know what to do. You always did in the past, even if it meant going against Father. If only Ladybug hadn't interfered, you might still be here."

Felix's hand twitched, something Adrien had grown used to seeing every time he mentioned Ladybug in his brother's presence. 

Taking up his brother's hand, he gave it a soft squeeze. "Sorry. I know how hearing her name upsets you. I'll try to keep from mentioning her again." 

He let go after a few minutes passed and Felix calmed down. 

Leaning over his mother, he pressed a kiss to her cool cheek. 

"I'll come back soon, but Father's leash is about to be tugged. So, I should go." He turned toward the door, stepping into the hallway and sparing a final glance behind him. "I love you both." 

His gaze memorized the room and its two occupants as he resolved to visit them within a few days, not wanting to lose more time with them. 

Returning through the corridors, he took little comfort this time in the reverberations of his shoes against the tiled floor. His thoughts drifted back to a time when he had both his mother and brother in his life, healthy and happy. Well, maybe not so much happy in Felix's case as his brother had a serious side that could rival their father's, but good enough in Adrien's estimation.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't pay much attention to his surroundings as he exited the center and stepped into the driveway. His steps took along the familiar path toward the gardens in the back. Ducking into a secluded alcove, he called for his transformation and leaped toward a wing's rooftop, ready to make the city his playground once more.

He'd made it a few blocks when a yoyo string wrapped around him and hauled him backward. 

"Hello, Chat Noir," Ladybug whispered in his ear, "it's time we had a little talk."


	8. Interrupted by a Chat Akuma

Tightening her grip on the yoyo string, she gritted her teeth. The string bit into her fingers, but she refused to let go. The spitting, angry hisses coming from Chat Noir would've been funny if his sheer strength didn't call for every last ounce of hers. 

"Would you calm down already? I'm not here to do anything but talk." She hated her words came out breathless, but it couldn't be helped as he continued to sap her strength by fighting her. "I'm not here for your precious ring. You can keep it. For now."

He slowed to a stop, his brilliant green gaze watchful and assessing. His wild mop of blond hair had gotten more so from his mad dash across the rooftops and her little trap, but it didn't detract from his handsome features at all. 

She cursed herself for knowing how handsome he looked despite everything she knew about him. 

"You're not the real Ladybug," he said breaking the silence between them. 

Despite her resolve, a smile broke out upon her lips, spreading into a sly smirk. 

She closed the distance between them. 

He renewed his struggling efforts, but she had a death grip on the string, keeping him in place. 

In a quiet voice, she said, "Oh, don't be like that, Chat. I'm as real a Ladybug as you are a Chat Noir. Though, I do wonder how you managed to get your hands on that ring. The Chat before you deserves a better replacement than someone who only uses that ring for selfish means, not to mention criminal."

"Is this supposed to make me like you or pledge my allegiance to you? Fat chance of that. You and the previous Ladybug can rot for all I care." He hissed at her, his legs kicking out to gain purchase from the height she had him dangling over an alleyway. "Let me go." 

She knew she shouldn't tease him, but oh, how fun it was to see him like this. 

Loosening her grip, the string slid a meter or two downward. 

"Are you crazy? I thought you were supposed to be on the good side unlike me. This is something I would do." He shouted the words at her, which only made her teasing grow as she grinned down at him. 

"Where do you think I learned it?" She let the string drop another meter, catching it before his feet touched the pavement below. "Ready to see if cats really do land on their feet or would you like to talk like civilized heroes instead?" 

Muted grumbling filtered through the narrow alleyway before he nodded, meeting her gaze despite the uncomfortable angle she placed him. 

"Good kitty," she murmured, hauling him back to the rooftop and setting him on his feet. "Glad you're seeing sense." 

His binds loosened, he lunged toward her with his sharp claws, but she easily leaped backward, out of his reach. 

She shot her yoyo at him, hoping to trap him again, but he dodged her attacks, his baton out and ready to take her down. One such blow from the metal staff, which he'd extended sent her scrambling to regain purchase on the graveled roof. 

"Such a novice," he sneered, raising his staff to strike at her again. 

Thinking fast, she swung her yoyo around his ankles and pulled hard, sending him backward and regaining her footing. Walking toward him, she kicked his staff aside and wrapped his wrists within the infinite length of her yo-yo's string. 

"Not as much as you think," she said in a low tone, leaning over him. 

Panting from the impromptu fight, she knelt and took a few breaths, keeping a watchful eye on him. Maintaining her restraining grip on the string, she dropped her hands to her lap and lowered her head, her hair momentarily covering her face from his view. 

"I don't want to fight you, Chat. We're supposed to be a team. Fighting like this won't do anything but weaken us both in the end." She dared to meet his gaze with a softened look. "Can we please have a real conversation now or do you need another lesson in what I can do? I'm not the Ladybug you're mad at, so why fight me?"

He looked away then, his eyes slamming closed as his head banged against the rooftop. 

She reached out to check him over, concerned he might've hurt himself against the crunchy gravel they sat upon, but she stopped herself in time, sensing his lack of appreciation at her caring efforts.

When his eyes opened again, the glare within them had died away, leaving behind a vulnerability she'd only witnessed a time or two since their first meeting mere weeks ago. It called out to her, begged her to understand him and his pain. 

Rather than answer their call, she sank further away, not daring to trust herself or him when his claws had attacked her moments ago. 

"Ladybug took away someone I deeply cared about." The words came out little more than a whisper. "She should pay for what she did, but she's considered a hero while my family is left to suffer from her actions."

Her hand stretched out and touched his shoulder, minding how close she was to his bound hands. 

"I'm so sorry, Chat," she took a deep breath before diving into the reason for their little talk, "but are you sure that's what happened? Could it be that's what you were told to gain your loyalty rather than what really happened?"

Whatever she'd been expecting of him didn't happen to her surprise. 

Instead, he visibly deflated, his eyes closing as his body shuddered from unexpressed emotions. 

"Oh, Chat," she whispered, leaning closer and forgetting the previous danger he'd been to her. "It'll be okay. I promise you it'll be okay. Just talk to me and we'll figure it out." 

So lost in her need to comfort him, she didn't see the dark butterfly hovering over them or it settling into Chat's bell as though it belonged there.

00000

The magic washing over him frightened him, its power far greater than any he possessed. At least, that was the sensation he figured he was supposed to feel as his father's voice echoed through his mind. 

"Chat Noir, I had such aspirations for you, but to find you with Ladybug is most disappointing. Since I can't take your ring, how would you like to earn infinite power? You can make Ladybug understand the pain you've been suffering at her hands. She's the one who took away your family. With my help, you can make her feel all your suffering." His father's voice had taken on a luring tone, one that eased doubts and readied for his takeover of another's mind and control. 

Hearing it, Chat could understand why so many had fallen under his father's control, craving the power he promised them. He wanted to do the same. It would be so easy to agree and let his father take over the reins. He could finally get the closure he's wanted since he'd first been told of Ladybug's treachery against his family. He could see her in pain, suffering, the same way he'd been suffering these last few months and years. 

"Oh, Chat," her voice filtered through the haze of Hawk Moth's magic, "please, don't do this. Fight him. Fight for yourself. You don't need his powers. You're much stronger than this, than he is. He's not someone you should trust." 

He scoffed at her last words. How typical of Ladybug, new or old, to declare who was or wasn't trustworthy. The nerve she possessed as the self-proclaimed hero of Paris pushed him on every nerve he had concerning her. What little emotion he'd felt bending toward her fled. 

"Give it to me, Hawk Moth. I'll make her pay before I take those precious earrings from her." 

The magic coursed through him. He could feel it bubbling over him and through him. His suit had gone from black to white while his consciousness slipped to the foreground, allowing his baser needs and desires to drive him. Hawk Moth's voice continued to speak to him though it quieted as he took back control of his body, ready to wreak havoc across Paris and devastate Ladybug as she'd done to him by taking away his brother. 

"Chat, no," Ladybug shouted at him, already moving away from him. 

He snapped the string of her yoyo, freeing his hands and unbinding his ankles. A smile crept over his features as he took in the mounting fear streaking across her face and working its way through her body. She continued to back away until the rooftop's sloping edge forced her to stop.

Perfect, he thought. Time to show her what he could truly do.

"Cataclysm," he called out, his right hand raising high so she might see it.

"Chat, don't. Please, you don't have to do this. I can help you." She stretched out her hands to him, her features pleading with him. "You are stronger than this. He doesn't have to hold power over you. He shouldn't, Chat. You're a hero. I know it." 

"Heroes are overrated. You are overrated, Ladybug." He crept closer to her, expecting her to cower in fear. 

She surprised him by straightening herself and holding her ground. An angry determination entered her eyes as she stared back at him. 

Pleased by this turn, he continued toward her, his hand bubbling with the magic he possessed. "I do wonder what would happen if I were to Cataclysm someone. Would it hurt? Would you turn to ash like everything else I touch? Shall we find out?"

"You can try and see if you land a blow, but don't think I won't fight back, no matter what it does to me," she boldly declared, her body bending into an offensive stance, ready to take him on.

He smiled at her bravado, almost proud of how much fight she possessed.

With one step closer, his mind grew hazy from the smoke surrounding him, but he managed to shake himself back to reality. He blinked several times, trying to make sense of what lay before him. 

Instead of one Ladybug, several stood side by side, all ready to pounce and take him on. 

Confused, he hesitated in striking out, unsure which one was the real one. No use in wasting his powers on a fake, he thought.

"What's the matter, Kitty Cat?" a voice called behind him. "Has your vision become infested with bugs?"

Spinning around, he spied the newcomer, a fox-like hero as she lounged on the chimney stack above him. 

"Who are you?" He growled the words, ready to attack her instead for interfering. 

She merely glanced down at her gloved nails, unmindful of his tone or the threat he posed. 

Distracted, he didn't realize the mistake he'd made until Ladybug's yoyo wrapped around him, tugging him back to his previous position. Cursing his rotten luck, he shouted epithets at Ladybug and the newcomer and silently called himself all kinds of fool as he suffered the great indignity of being hog-tied and trussed up.

Struggling against the string's hold, he hissed and snapped at Ladybug's hand, but it worked to no avail.

She'd snatched up his bell and broke it in two, sending the little butterfly fluttering out in the hopes of escaping capture. 

Hawk Moth's magic and hold faded away, his mind growing hazy on the events during his akumatization. 

Curling into himself, he fought the growing ache within his head, asking, "What happened?"

"You were akumatized, Chat Noir, by your partner," the newcomer said, resignation ringing in her tone. "Ladybug and I saved you. Though, I doubt that'll make you grateful. I'm still unconvinced you're not a lost cause. After all, you had no problem allowing your partner to akumatize you."

"Enough," Ladybug said, her voice commanding. "I have it from here, Rena. Thank you for your help, but Chat and I have some things we need to discuss privately." 

Rena and Ladybug stared at one another, leaving him uncomfortable with their silent communication. He knew better than to say anything after the fierce look he'd gotten from Rena earlier. 

When Rena left, Ladybug leaned over him. "Now, are you going to actually talk to me or are we going to have another spat this afternoon?" 

"I'll play nice and talk," he said in a shaky breath. 

Something told him he wouldn't be treated as nicely as she'd been treating him if he decided on another answer. Better not to push his luck as she loosened the string around him and hurried to purify the butterfly before it fluttered too far away. 

Shaking feeling back into his extremities, he met her gaze and said, "Alright, let's talk."


	9. Unspoken Secrets Revealed

Resentment brewed under the surface, threatening to send him into another fight. He hated the power this new Ladybug had, outsmarting him in ways the previous one hadn't with her Chat. At least, that's the way it had appeared to him, having watched them handle all the akumas his father had sent their way.

Then, there was his father. The man had dared to akumatize him when he'd had everything under control with Ladybug. He'd taken away his ability to say no, enticing him with the promise of taking out vengeance against the one who wasn't even responsible for his mother's and brother's states. He couldn't imagine what his father had been thinking, which he admitted frightened him a bit. Clearly, his father's tenuous grasp was loosening on his control of the Butterfly miraculous.

"Such deep thoughts," Ladybug said, breaking his concentration. "I can only imagine what you're feeling, but I would like to understand those thoughts and how you came to be like this. How did Hawk Moth lure you to his side, Chat? Did he promise you something?" 

His hands clenched into fists at his side, his resentment growing tenfold at her presumption. 

"You promised to talk to me." Her reminder came out gently, almost soothing despite the reprimanding tone she used. "So, talk to me. I want to help you, Chat, because I think I can. You are supposed to be my partner, not Hawk Moth's. We're two halves of a whole. Without each other, we're weaker than we can and should be."

"Maybe it's best if we are weaker," he mumbled, not quite meeting her eyes. "I'm not hero material, so I'm not sure why you're bothering to try to fix me."

She surprised him by closing the distance between them. Her hand hesitated near his face for a mere moment before she cupped his cheek, a warm smile spreading across her lips. She simply stood there with him for several moments, her thumb caressing his cheek near the edge of his mask. It was almost as though she were content to stay like that a while.

It unnerved him, seeing that contentment. Why would she care about him? He'd been a scourge to the citizens of Paris. That was fact. It couldn't be changed, so why bother? His father wouldn't let him switch sides, not without a nasty battle on their hands, either. It was that battle that frightened him most.

That fear had him backing further away from her until his knees collided with the low wall along the roof's edge. 

Her smile disappeared as heartache took its place. 

That disturbed him, sensing she might know him in ways he didn't know her. Could that be possible? Could she know him and care about him as a person? He hadn't had that since his mother and brother both fell into their current states. 

"Chat, look at me," Ladybug said in a soft, soothing tone. It would've made more sense for her to use such a tone on an infant than a grown man, but it didn't stop her from using it on him. "Please, look at me." 

Helpless to the spell she seemed to weave around him, he glanced up and caught her determined gaze. Oh, boy, was he in trouble, he thought, recalling another familiar woman who'd worn such an expression not long ago in his presence. It couldn't be possible, could it, that he had two different women who wore the same expression around him? No, that wasn't possible.

Dawning realization hit him hard, and he flew over the edge of the rooftop, taking off toward the bakery and Marinette. He had to know for certain, not daring to believe she might've willingly joined forces with his enemy. Though, he had to admit, she'd made it clear she despised where his loyalties rested when she admired the previous Chat Noir.

He hit her balcony within minutes and glanced into her darkened room. Cupping his hands around his eyes, they widened as they took in the bare room. It'd been stripped of her possession, leaving a bare minimum of furniture within it. 

She'd moved, and he hadn't known because he'd been locked away.

Where could she have gone? Would she want him to find her? What was he supposed to do about these emotions that plagued him whenever he thought about her or was in her presence? 

Sinking into the lounge chair she left behind, he dropped his head into his hands and groaned. Misery filled his chest and squeezed his heart tight, something he hated yet accepted. He had feelings for her though he refused to name those feelings yet. It was too soon, he knew, for them to be so strong. 

He would find her and check on her. That would be the end of it. He'd walk away after that because that was what she deserved, but he had to know she was alright after that akuma attack. If he were right, she was, but he had to be sure. 

Resolution lifted his head from his hands. 

A flutter of an envelope under a small empty flowerpot brought his attention to it. His name was scrawled across the pristine cream. 

He plucked it up and opened it without hesitation, wanting and needing to see what her farewell had been to him. He knew it was a farewell. It couldn't be anything else. 

The words blurred as rage filled him. Seeing what had sent her fleeing from her home spurred him toward his own, ready to face off with the man who couldn't stop himself from interfering where he had no rights in Chat's mind.

It was time to confront his father.

00000

Marinette followed him, keeping a safe distance so he wouldn't suspect. She couldn't let him go without checking on him, having seen the horror striking his features before he'd fled. Something had spooked him, and she feared the answer might've been her. Feeling terrible about the prospect, she'd followed. 

It'd taken everything in her not to reach out and comfort him despite his criminal status. He was her partner, and she'd come to accept it in the past week of practicing and sparring as Ladybug. She needed and wanted him by her side, even if she didn't accept him as the soulmate part yet. That was too much to consider yet. 

Seeing him collapse on her balcony at finding her room empty, she couldn't imagine the thoughts flitting through his mind or the emotions that might've been triggered. However, she couldn't bring herself to step out of the shadows and make her presence known to him. No, it was better she remain at a distance until she could better surmise his state and his possible reactions upon seeing her again. She couldn't let him gain the upper hand as he'd almost done earlier that day. 

She gasped when she saw her letter in his hand and shrunk further into the shadows when she heard him emit a primal growl full of rage. Oh, dear, she thought. Sure, she'd caught glimpses of his anger and resentment simmering, but she hadn't expected to see them culminate into such a fashion. Her lip became caught between her teeth as she continued to watch from her private perch a few rooftops away. 

When he took off toward a new destination, she debated following, sensing it would be her opportunity to confirm the lead Bridgette had gotten before she'd gone underground. Could her Chat Noir be the son of Paris's elite fashion designer? Could he be Adrien Agreste as Bridgette suspected? Did she dare find out for herself if this was true?

A warm glow filled her, gentle assurance to follow her heart. 

"Thanks, Tikki," she whispered, zipping out her yo-yo and following her partner at a continued distance. 

Her kwami warmed her entire being for another moment before fading into the background, content to let Marinette do what she needed. Having the magical being in her possession had been a huge awakening as she took on the responsibilities of Ladybug. Tikki had proven quite adaptable and accepting of changing holders though tears had been shared between her and Bridgette, taking Marinette under her wing and sharing the secrets passed from one Ladybug to the next. 

"Alright, let's see if Bridgette is right." 

She swung around one final corner, dropping on top of a rooftop across from the Agreste mansion. To her growing understanding, she caught Chat Noir slipping through one of several windows leading to the largest bedroom she'd ever seen. Yes, Chloe had a large suite within the Le Grand Paris Hotel, but it couldn't compare to the sight she took in as Chat Noir transformed into the heir of Agreste Fashion, Adrien Agreste. 

"Oh, Chat, if I'd known sooner ..." The words drifted into silence, her heart squeezing uncomfortably in her chest. 

She'd read plenty over the years of the sad fates of two Agreste family members. Their states had become fodder for the masses as most Parisians divided into deep sympathy for the family or indifference toward the multi-millionaire and his son. Having fallen into the first category, she'd felt her sadness for the young man who'd been photographed through each ordeal, the paparazzi uncaring about his grief or need for privacy. 

Determination filled her as she watched him a few more minutes. She would help her partner. First, she needed to get him on her side, and she had a plan for that, but it would take Tikki's help and a bit of extra spying and sneaking around. After that, they'd find a way to save his family, bringing them back to him. 

A movement at the mansion's front pulled her attention from her partner as he paced his room, frustration lining every agitated movement. Crouching low, she made out the older man's features and realized with a start, it was Gabriel Agreste and his assistant. They had several bags with them and a limo waiting for them. Whatever trip they had planned, it appeared it would keep them away for at least a week. 

If her hunch proved correct, she was looking at Hawk Moth as he slid into the limo, traveling who knew where. Should she be right, she had to use her time wisely and win over Adrien before her time ran out. Gabriel had connections and resources, all of which she didn't want employed if she could help it. 

"I'm coming back, Kitty," she whispered before swinging away, heading back to her new apartment. "I won't let him use you any longer." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chat suspects who this new Ladybug is, but he's not 100% sure. He'll continue guessing for the next few chapters as Ladybug and Marinette share several personality traits, but she doesn't give herself away until she's ready to do so. 
> 
> Since Marinette now knows a lot more, she'll be working on her plan to win Chat over while sticking to her coerced promise to Hawk Moth. She'll be using a loophole within that promise she gave. 😉
> 
> Until next week, happy reading. I hope you're still enjoying this story as much as I am in telling it. We have roughly 22 chapters left after this. Yay. Lots more to come.


	10. During a Cheese Run

"Ready, Tikki?" Marinette held her kwami close, watching for any signs Tikki might not be. At Tikki's nod, she added, "Remember this all comes down to you. Think you can get Plagg to work with us?"

Another nod from Tikki pulled a sigh from Marinette, relief loosening the tension holding her body painfully still. 

"Alright. I'll be waiting for you to get back," she let her kwami zip from her hands, dropping them to her sides, "then we can work on the next part of our plan. We're going to help Chat whether he wants it or not." 

"That's my girl," Tikki cheered before zipping across the street, her tiny red body blurring in Marinette's vision. 

Marinette kept herself low on the rooftop across from Chat Noir, or rather Adrien's room. She had no intention of leaving her kwami without some defense, even if everything hinged on them both not being seen by Adrien himself. She'd worked too hard on this plan for it to fall apart by a careless action on her part. 

"Come on, Tik. I know you can do this," she whispered, nervous energy replacing her earlier relief. She fought the desire to bounce her leg. Her crouched position saved her from succumbing to that desire as Tikki returned moments later. "So, is he in? Is Plagg going to help us?"

Tikki beamed. "He's inhaling his cheese stash as we speak. He asked us to give him about an hour before he puts his part into motion. Apparently, he's been overindulged by his holder as a bribe, I guess."

That had Marinette laughing though she quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. A smile tugged at her lips. "I wouldn't know anything about that, would I?"

Poking Tikki in the stomach, her smile grew at the high-pitched giggles coming from the kwami. 

"Alright, let's get back and inform Bridgette of our next moves. I promised to keep her up-to-date on our progress." She called for her transformation and swung from the rooftop, her practiced technique improving with each use of the yo-yo. It'd been real touch-and-go the first few days since becoming Ladybug, but she'd grown quickly used to the exhilaration and the freedom that came with swinging around Paris. 

Within minutes, they dropped onto the balcony of Bridgette's hideaway. The once-abandoned building had seen new life revamped into it through the benevolence of a generous developer, converting the old warehouse into affordable housing for Paris's downtrodden. The large lofts could easily be converted into two or three bedrooms and granted its occupants all kinds of privacy, particularly the ones lucky to have roof access. 

Using a little bit of Ladybug luck before retiring, Bridgette had snatched up the one loft that also had access to a private balcony, granting plenty of access points for heroes and Guardian to come and go as needed. 

"Well, how is your latest project going?" Bridgette asked from one of two lounge chairs on said balcony. A pot of tea and a plate of their parents' special croissants sat on the table between them, ready to be consumed. "Did you and Tikki have some success?"

Dropping her transformation, Marinette sank into the empty seat and plucked up a croissant, tearing it into bite-sized pieces. Handing two of them to Tikki, she nodded. Her smile returned as she eased further back into her seat. 

"Yep, I think we're on the right track. Plagg is our in for now, and he seems more than game to get Chat back on our side." She nibbled on one of the pieces she'd torn off, her gaze flicking between her sister and Tikki. "I have a feeling he's missed his old holder and possibly being closer to Tikki. You two have a deep friendship, don't you, Tik?" 

The kwami nodded, her eyes taking on a sadness that called to Marinette. It echoed the sadness both Bridgette and Marinette felt at not having their other halves with them. 

Bridgette patted Marinette's knee. "We'll get them back. I have complete faith in you and Tikki."

Silence descended as they finished off the croissants and tea.

Before she noted the lateness of the morning, Marinette eventually found the words to fill Bridgette in on the details of her plan so far. She watched her sister's face as she talked, noting anything that might derail her strategy and finding none. 

As her debrief ended, Bridgette's expression remained thoughtful for several minutes, only to break into a soft smile. Her approval was clear in her features and possibly a little bit of pride, too. 

"Alright, well, I better get going. I need to change before I put my next steps into action." She pushed out of the chair and glance at Tikki, calling for her transformation once more. "Wish me luck." 

Bridgette's smile amplified even as she shook her head. "You're luck incarnate, but I hope it goes well. Just be careful, okay? Don't forget he's close to Hawkmoth, Mari, and that could be dangerous for both of you."

"I won't. I promise." 

The sisters hugged before Marinette sent her yoyo sailing out, swinging from the balcony's railing and into the city. 

She had a certain Chat to woo.

00000

Adrien emerged from his bathroom, feeling almost human again. The deep rage he'd allowed to simmer since learning his father's betrayal and subsequent departure had finally found its end. It'd taken several long hours of exercise, gaming, and indulging his deepest, most secret passions. Having come out on the other side, he'd learned real quick how badly he stunk and had sought to remedy that.

If it had taken a week of all these to get him back on track, then he considered it time well spent.

At least, he did until he found his kwami groaning against his pillow on the bed. Plagg's belly appeared distended and his little green eyes peered up at him, moaning louder and longer. 

"What did you do, Plagg?"

"Oh, kid, I couldn't help myself. I ate my entire stash of cheese, but I'm still starving. I need more cheese, and I need it now." He rolled onto his stomach and let out a large burp, sidling closer to his holder and holding out one pathetic little paw. "Please, take me to the cheese shop. I can't go on without my beloved cheese." 

Suspicion made Adrien step away, his arms crossing over his bare chest. One brow rose into his hairline as he asked, "Why did you eat it all in one sitting? It's been waiting on you to eat it for the past few weeks. So why now? What are you up to?"

Plagg's eyes narrowed into a glare. "I'm up to nothing. It's not my fault I'm an anxious eater. Can you blame me, kid? You've been in a funk the past week, leaving me to worry about you. Yes, I've worried about you before you dare ask me such an insulting question. I do care about you, kid, even if you do make stupid decisions, such as siding with the enemy." 

Throwing his hands into the air, Adrien turned around and marched toward his closet. "I can't tell if you want my sympathy or want to start a fight. Either way, you're not getting either from me. Now, if you can behave for ten minutes, we'll head out to get you some more of your precious cheese. Think you can wait that long?" 

Plagg remained quiet, not daring to respond, which pleased Adrien a bit. Gaining the upper hand on his kwami felt nice for once.

True to his word, they walked through the front door of the mansion and stepped into the waiting limo, his driver having stayed behind at his father's command. Before long, they passed the gates surrounding his home, blending into the midmorning traffic and heading in the direction of the cheese shop Plagg had insisted on visiting rather than the one Adrien typically used. 

When the limo pulled up to the curb, Adrien pushed the door open and swung out of the back, all too happy to get away from the gassy mess that Plagg had become. The smell alone had him taking deep breaths as soon as the door opened wide, allowing fresh air to waft into the confined space. 

"What did you eat?" he grumbled at the miserable lump hiding out in his shirt pocket. "Tell me now so I can avoid getting it here. No way is that staying in your diet, no matter how much you love it."

In his desperation to flee the limo, he missed the woman racing down the sidewalk, her breath coming out in rapid puffs and pants. 

Their collision sent them reeling backward, him into the limo's side and her onto her bottom. 

"Ow," she cried out softly, her hands coming up for closer inspection after their impact with the concrete. 

He could make out tiny scrapes across the palms moments before he met her gaze, recognition slamming into his stomach. Hurrying toward her, he knelt down and checked her over for any other obvious injuries. He had to resist touching her, which killed him despite being absolutely necessary. He wasn't a creep and refused to be with her.

"I'm truly sorry for bumping into you. Will you be okay?" He held out one hand, ready to help her up. "I'm going in right here. I can see if they have a first aid kit if you'd like." 

She sent him a tremulous smile, her head nodding. "That would be nice. Thank you."

"Oh, take care with your hands," he murmured as her hand slipped into his. He helped her stand, taking a moment to check her over a final time before coming to stand beside her. "I do hope I haven't caused you permanent damage." 

She laughed. 

He'd almost forgotten how it sounded in the time since he'd last seen her. It washed over him and wrapped him in its sweet warmth. Memories of her that night at the ball ran through his head as she danced with different partners and spent time with her friends. She'd laughed a lot that night, drawing him toward her despite his need to keep his distance. 

Recalling what had sent her fleeing her home, he took a step back, not realizing how close they'd stood until then. 

"I've done worse to myself, so don't worry. I'm sure they'll be good as new in a day or two." Her smile remained though her eyes had taken on a curious light as they trekked across his features. "You remind me of someone." 

Oh, this wasn't good. His thoughts scattered as he tried to find something, anything to deflect her guessing who he was. It wouldn't do either of them any good for her to know. 

His gaze landed on a pin she wore on her jacket, thanking his rare good luck. Offering her a smile, he asked, "You're a fan of fighting games? Have you played the latest UMS? It's not as great as the third one, but it's not as bad as the fifth one."

His luck continued as she glanced down at her pin and smiled. Her eyes brightened as she returned to his. "No, I haven't, but I've been dying to. Did you know it'll be the featured game at the con in a few weeks? Will you be attending by any chance? It'd be nice to see a familiar face." 

"Familiar, huh? Does that mean you might want to see more of me then?" He flashed his most flirtatious grin, hoping she wouldn't figure him out. Knowing his rotten luck, she would and then she'd be quick to revoke her invitation. Unless ... she was the spotted heroine who'd roped him a week ago as he suspected. 

She surprised him by laughing again, her eyes lacing with her amusement at his antics. "Are you always so cheesy?"

"Maybe I am. I guess you'll have to give me a chance and find out for yourself." He held out his hand. "I'm Adrien." 

After a moment passed, she put her hand in his and shook it twice, her smile returning as she said, "I'm Marinette. It's nice to meet you, Adrien."

Something flickered in her eyes, but it disappeared before he could decipher it. 

In the end, it didn't matter as he escorted her inside the cheese shop and got her cleaned up. Before they separated with their purchases, he had her number in his phone and a promise of seeing her again soon. 

Maybe having a cheese-hoarding kwami had its upside after all. 


	11. Getting Some Air with a Midnight Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I promise fluff would start with the last chapter and go for a bit? Yeah, I fibbed. We have two chapters of light angst before we get into the fluff before everything hits the fan. Necessary angst as these two continue to build the trust growing between them on all sides.

"Ugh, kid," Plagg glared at him with narrowed eyes peeking over his newest wedge of cheese, "can you stop doing that soon? Your sighing and puttering around with that lovesick look is ruining my appetite."

"How can you possibly want more cheese after all you ate earlier? Aren't you ever full?" He quirked a brow at his kwami, leaning backward in the desk chair. "Just do me the favor of spraying the room if you get sick later. I didn't appreciate the smell you left in the limo, and I'm sure my driver is cursing my name as we speak thanks to you."

Plagg ignored him, huffing and puffing about ungrateful holders. 

Determined to do the same, Adrien straightened his chair, his eyes drifting to his phone and the picture that lit up when he opened his phone. He smiled down at the adorableness that could only belong to Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Gaining the picture hadn't been hard as she'd allowed him to capture the photo while they explored the cheese shop. Catching her at a silly moment with an almost-full wedge of cheese atop her head had been pure luck. 

The afternoon had been a pleasant one, and he had her to thank for that. 

"Hey, Plagg, you almost done there?" He pushed away from the desk, his feet practically skipping with his rare bout of happiness. "Let's go for a run." 

"What? No. I hate --"

Plagg never got the chance to finish his protest as Adrien called for his transformation and leaped out his bedroom window and into the growing night. 

Extending his baton, he vaulted over the first rooftops with ease, kicking at the loose rocks he found there and biting back the smile he couldn't quite hide since that afternoon. He hadn't thought anyone could make him feel this way, but Marinette had proved him wrong, proving quite easy to talk to and a lot of fun. While he'd known she had a softer, sweeter side, he hadn't seen much of it as Chat Noir, but then, why would he? She'd made it perfectly known she had no interest in his shenanigans as a villain. 

She'd been different with him in his civilian form. Sure, she hadn't known he was Chat Noir, but it was nice to see her again. After learning what his father had done to her, he couldn't blame her for wanting distance from him as Chat. Would she feel the same if she knew who he was? Would she turn her back on him as Adrien? 

He didn't want to consider the possibility, but it stared him in the face, daring him to hope life would be kind to him just once. Wasn't he owed a little bit of happiness after the cold indifference of his father, his mother's mysterious illness, and his brother's downfall at the hands of the previous Ladybug? Just one tiny bit. That's all he wanted. 

Quiet footfalls behind him alerted him to the intruder.

His smile slipped for a moment, not sure he could handle dealing with her. Their last interaction hadn't been great, but then, he'd known it wouldn't have been. 

"Not causing any trouble tonight, are you, Chat?" she asked. 

The sound of her yoyo clipping at her waist reaching his sensitive ears. Knowing she didn't want any trouble from him made it easier to settle his baton back in its holster. 

Mustering a grin, he turned toward her and said, "Nah, just needed a bit of air. Had too good a day to ruin it by summoning you." 

"Hmm." She walked toward him, her brow arching behind her mask as she regarded him. "So, I haven't heard much from your partner lately. Has he gone underground or something? It's not quite like him to be so silent for so long." 

Not in the mood to discuss his father, he shrugged. "Guess everyone needs a break now and then." 

"Doesn't sound like Hawkmoth. In fact, he'd been escalating his efforts up until recently." Her finger tapped at her cheek, swiping at the bottom of her mask and few stray hairs from her otherwise impeccable ponytail. "I have to wonder if maybe something's happened. Could he be planning something that he wouldn't tell you about? I mean, he's always worked best alone until he somehow convinced you to join his side. How did he do it? What did he say that convinced you to join him anyway?" 

His hands clenched at his sides, resenting her for diving into areas that were better left alone. He owed her nothing, so why did she insist on pushing him? Why did she believe she had the right to push him? 

"I was having such a good day, too," he muttered under his breath. His grin disappeared as he said in a normal voice, "Worried you won't measure up to the last Ladybug? I can understand that. I mean, I knew I was never going to measure up to the last Chat Noir, so I decided to change the game. Why not do the same and have some fun for once?"

The dubious look she wore irked him, but he refused to give her any hint of that. Instead, he waited, curious as to how she might respond. If she wanted to pick a fight with him, then so be it. He'd give her one, but he had no intention of giving in without one. 

"Nice to see you have claws and a bit of bite," she said, breaking the tension between them. "Follow me, Chat Noir. I know somewhere we can talk and be comfortable at the same time. We do have some things to discuss." 

To his amazement, she'd released her yoyo from her waist without him noticing and swung away before he could give any type of answer to her demand. 

Ready as any cat to give chase, he unhooked his baton and followed her spotted suit through the city, not stopping until they'd landed on one of the highest beams on the Eiffel Tower. 

"You wanted to talk," he said, small pants coming out with each word, "So, talk." 

00000

Oh, boy, she'd really irritated him, she thought. His eyes had narrowed into tiny slits as he'd landed nearby. The claws on his gloves gleamed in the moonlight pouring down on them. 

"I'm sorry," she whispered, keeping the words low so he'd have to get closer. 

His ears went high and his eyes widened with surprise. Clearly, he hadn't expected her to utter an apology to him. 

When he moved closer, she motioned for him to take a seat beside her, having sat down upon arriving. With her back pressed against the beam, she'd taken advantage of her position, knowing she could still swing her yoyo should she need to defend herself while also remaining comfortable should he decide to play nice.

"I hadn't meant to goad you when I came across you earlier." 

She leaned her head back so she might watch him as he decided whether to sit or stand. She hoped he'd choose to sit, not wanting a crick in her neck from gazing up at him while they talked. 

When he finally sank onto the beam, his legs straddling the narrow beam, she felt a warmth rush through her, but she tamped it down, reminding herself she had a job to do. She couldn't forget that, even as she played the game she'd set in motion, both in and out of her suit. 

"What were your intentions then?" His gaze dropped to his gloves and the claws protruding from them as he grumbled the words. He flexed them a couple of times before his eyes came back to meet hers. "What do you want from me? What is your aim here? To make me a hero? That'll never happen. I'm too far gone to ever be that."

The sadness that crept into his words tugged at her. She'd heard it from him before, but she hadn't thought the pain real. She knew differently now as she'd learned his identity, not that he could know that yet. In time, she would tell him, but this wasn't the time. 

"Don't you believe in second chances and redemption?" Sitting up, she leaned toward him as though she might share one of her greatest secrets. "If you ask me, you're worth redeeming, Chat. You haven't done anything that you can't come back from. You're not Hawkmoth. You haven't deliberately hurt anyone or sought to hurt anyone despite joining his side. Beneath your tough exterior, I think there's a guy who craves a second chance but might be a little afraid to reach out." 

He remained silent, listening to her words yet giving her nothing. His cat ears perked and twitched as he took in what she said, but he remained fairly still, hard to read.

Reaching out, she put out her hand, palm up, as she continued, "Let me help you, Chat. I won't abandon you or forsake you. You're meant to be my partner, not Hawkmoth's. Trust me to help you get back what you've lost." 

She didn't expect him to smile at her words. It held a wealth of sadness, but it managed to transform his face as he met her gaze. 

His hand came out and took hers, taking care with his claws. 

When their fingers laced together, she let out a soft gasp, unprepared for the emotions the action yanked to the surface. She hadn't thought it possible, but their contact proved her wrong. Oh, so wrong. 

"You remind me of someone I know. She's a lot like you. Quite prickly toward me, but she's so good and she cares. At least, I think she does." He blew out a breath, his gaze dropping for a moment before he met hers again. The sadness within him grew as he admitted, "I don't know if that's changed though. I didn't protect her as I should've from Hawkmoth."

Tightening her grip on his hand, she gave it a soft tug, wanting him to remain focused on her. She tamped down the fear he might've guessed her identity, not ready to tackle that situation yet but needing to comfort him however she could by saying, "I doubt she blames you for Hawkmoth's actions. I'm willing to bet she knows you can't control other people and what they do. Chat, you are not Hawkmoth, and he isn't you. I can't make you switch sides and join me, but I do want you to know I'll always be around to listen if you need to vent or to help you if I can. Can he say the same thing? Would he?"

"Why do you care so much? Shouldn't you be looking for a way to trap me up here and haul me off to the authorities? It's what I deserve after all that's happened since I took on this miraculous." He tugged his hand free and stood to prowl the beam's length. His tail swished around him in agitation. "You may be nothing like the old Ladybug, but it's hard to trust you. I know what you're capable of, and I can't let another person I love be hurt by someone wearing that suit." 

Pushing to her feet and stepping in front of him to stop his pacing, she put her hands on his shoulders and asked, "Who did she hurt? Who was this person the old Ladybug supposedly hurt? Let me in, Chat. Please, let me in so I might help you. That's all I want to do. No tricks, no ulterior motives. Let me be your friend. I can be your friend if you let me." 

His eyes closed, hiding the wave of pain that shook him. She could feel the slight tremors wracking his body as he fought to control himself. 

When they finally opened again, a wealth of pain and sadness leaked out, his head coming forward to rest against hers. His ears had fallen flat against his wild locks.

In a broken voice, he whispered, "My brother."


	12. Gaining Insight and Advice on the Eiffel Tower

He jerked back, his eyes wild as he sought a way to escape her. "I shouldn't have said that. Forget I said anything. I can't be here. You're going to cause more problems than solve."

"Chat, please, calm down. I'm not going to do any such thing." She reached out, but he only moved further out of her reach. Fearing he might fall in his panicked state, she took a step back and dropped her hands to her sides. "I'm not going to hurt you, but I do thank you for trusting me by being honest. I can't imagine what it's like to lose a sibling, but I do know it's hard knowing you can't help them when it's all you want to do. Were you two close?"

He nodded. "He and my mother were my world. They were all I had besides my father. He's all I have left. All he wants, all we want is to get them back." 

His features paled beneath his mask, his mouth gaping wide as it hit him how much he'd given away without her really trying. It was obvious he hated being so open and vulnerable with her. She felt certain he hadn't been vulnerable with anyone in a long time. 

Not wanting to push him further or away, she remained where she was, not moving or reaching toward him. In as calm a voice as she could manage, she worked to soothe him, to bring his color back. "My sister disappeared from my life for a long time, too. She didn't tell anyone she was going away. No note. Nothing. It broke my heart the day I realized I might never see her again, never know why she left or if she was alright. She simply vanished. My family wasn't the same after that day."

As she spoke, her arms came up and crossed over her chest, the pain creeping over her. She'd known the pain would come, but she hadn't expected the unbidden tears that would blur her vision even as she tried to blink them away. She rubbed at her arms, fighting off the chill that'd taken over her soul and threatened to freeze her heart despite its painful beating in her chest. 

Being vulnerable wasn't her favorite thing, but she knew it was necessary. If she had any chance of gaining Chat Noir's trust, it was by trusting him in return with the details she could safely share without giving away her identity. That would come in time, but she had so much work left to do before then. She had to gain his trust both in and out of the mask first. 

"I didn't know," he said after several minutes of silence passed between them.

She gave him a bittersweet smile. "You couldn't have. We don't know who the other is, do we? I know you have no reason to trust me, Chat, but I do care about you. You're my other half, even if we're on opposite sides right now. I'm not giving up on you, and I never will." 

Another long silence ensued. It wasn't an uncomfortable one, but it didn't ease the tension that built between them, either. It left them both in a state of uncertainty, one that was fraught with doubts yet flickered with hope and possibly the beginnings of trust. Their small confessions had formed a bridge between them, one that could grow stronger between them if they let it.

He shook his head, trying to deny her words. 

This time, she did step toward him and put her hands back on his shoulders, pinning him to the opposite beam. She kept him there until he could meet her gaze. When he did, she kept her voice low as she repeated her words to him verbatim. She kept repeating them, too, until he shook as they sank in, destroying whatever resolve he'd been trying to maintain with her. 

At long last, he broke. "I don't trust him, but I'm not sure I can trust you, either. What if you're just like the last Ladybug? What if you take away the last bit of family I have left? I can't afford to lose any more than I've already lost." 

Unable to hold herself back, she closed the distance between them, her hands providing an anchor as she rose onto her tiptoes. With barely any hesitation, she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "I'm not going to hurt you, mon chaton solitaire. That is the last thing I'd ever want to do."

He didn't say anything, which suited her fine as she didn't want him to.

Nuzzling his cheek, she released her yoyo from her waist and shot it outward. Stepping back, she gave him a warm smile as she said, "I'll be here whenever you're ready. Just look for my spots on your baton's locator. That's where I'll be, waiting for you."

At his nod, she took off, swinging through the city for several minutes. She couldn't let him follow her just yet, so she kept to her pre-planned route until she felt safe to head back to her new apartment. 

When her feet touched the minuscule balcony, she dropped her transformation and stepped into her living room. 

"Are you sure that was the best course, Marinette? What if he tells Hawkmoth about the baton's locating abilities?" Tikki followed up her questions with the wringing of her tiny paws and giant eyes, full of concern for her safety. 

Marinette had considered that possibility and dismissed it, having sensed a change in Chat since her run-in with him as Adrien earlier that day. 

Facing Tikki, she held out a macaron. "I don't think he will. He's angry at his father, at Hawkmoth even though he's trying to hide it. If I keep working with him both in and out of my suit, I think I can help him. I have to try, Tik. I might not know him all that well, but my heart knows he's worth the risk I'm taking. I know there's good in him. I've seen it."

"Just be careful, Marinette. We still don't know what Hawkmoth is up to. He could be planning something big." 

"I know, and we'll be ready for him, Tik." She sank onto her ratty sofa and glanced up at the moon, her mind picturing the way it gleamed across Chat's face as he broke in front of her that evening. "But, I'm not giving up on Chat. He's too important." 

To me, she added in silence. 

She would keep her promise to him, and she would help him become the hero she knew he could be. 

00000

He'd lost track of the time he'd stood frozen on the Eiffel Tower's beam, his eyes locked onto the skyline in search of Ladybug. Her disappearance after her soft kiss and her softer words. She believed in him, trusted him to not use the information she gave him against her. She’d even claimed him as hers. It humbled him. 

When the cool night finally seeped through his magic suit, he leaped from the tower, pulling out and extending his baton. With quick, efficient movements, he carried himself across the city until he landed near the long-term care center. He had no desire to go home, at least not yet.

Sliding into the alley, he called off his transformation and walked through the doors to greet the front receptionist. She gave him a tired smile, nodding him on despite visiting hours being over hours ago. 

Thankful for his time as Chat Noir, his footsteps made little noise as he hurried toward the room where his mother and brother stayed, almost bursting to share with them all that had happened to him in the last twelve hours. 

Running into Marinette had been a wonderful happenstance unlike running into Ladybug, but then, Ladybug had shown him a side he hadn't expected, one that made him want to lean in and not shove her away so readily. What was it about these two that had him hoping and wishing again? Hadn't he learned his lesson after all this time? Weren't his mother and brother proof wishing and hoping did nothing without solid action? 

With thoughts of this Ladybug swirling in his mind, wasn't he betraying Felix after all he'd suffered at the hands of the previous one? Would Felix hate him if he actually knew? What would happen to their relationship should Felix recover? Would Felix shun him for allowing himself to fall under this Ladybug's spell, for allowing himself to trust her? 

He really hoped not.

Slipping into their room, he soon sank into the chair between them, watching their monitors and their chests rising and falling on their own accord. How much longer could they stay this way before they suffered irreversible damage? What if he and his father succeed in getting their wish too late? Would Felix and his mother be the same people they loved or would they be mere shells? What if he trusted this Ladybug and she failed to live up to her promise? Could he bear the failure, the knowledge he'd let them down? Did he want to take that risk?

"Kid," Plagg whispered from his shirt pocket, "what are we doing here?"

"I just needed to see them." He scrubbed at his face, his confusion leaving him beyond tired. "They're why I started all this. I just need to know I'm not messing it up. I know I have a choice to make, but I'm not sure if I can. What if I choose wrong? What if they never recover or I lose them forever because I choose wrong?"

"You're tired, kid. Let's go home. You don't have to decide anything tonight, but yes, you'll have to decide soon." Plagg's tiny paw tapped him on the chest, his eyes narrowing in thought before he finally said, "I have a story to tell you when you're ready. It's about my previous holder, one I think will help your decision." 

"Why not tell me now? What makes you think I'm not ready to hear it?" 

Plagg's eyes briefly closed as though he experienced great pain at whatever story lurked within him.

"You really cared about the previous Chat Noir, didn't you?"

All Plagg could do was nod, his closed eyes tightening before loosening so he might open them again. 

"You must've been pretty disappointed by me then, huh?" 

It hurt to say the words aloud, but he had to say them, had to know if Plagg's opinion had changed toward him. While they might've started talking a bit more in the past few days, he didn't think Plagg considered him worthy of being Chat Noir. He didn't consider himself worthy, either, at times. 

Plagg shook his head. "I wouldn't say I was disappointed, but I was surprised to find you so willing to work with Hawkmoth. Then again, kid, he is your father. I should've known he'd use that to keep you under his thumb. He's dangerous, and you should take care around him." 

While he wanted to argue with Plagg about knowing his father better than Plagg did, he couldn't. Something had changed within the man he'd called father all his life in the past couple of months. His father had pushed boundaries that had once been off-limits, including akumatizing him and threatening an innocent to stay clear of him. 

Distraction or not, Marinette hadn't been a threat to their goal. To learn his father had threatened her had sent his blood boiling to near cataclysmic levels. What if she learned who he was? Would she hate him? Would she turn her back on him? 

He hoped she wouldn't, but he couldn't blame her if she did. He would deserve it. 

Yet, he couldn't abandon his father any more than he could abandon his mother and brother. They all needed him, including his father, even if the older man denied it with every cold, brutal word he hurled at Adrien. 

They needed him as much as he needed Marinette. 

That thought slammed into him hard. 

He needed her. 

She made his world bearable. She brought a light into it that hadn't been there before with her voice, her smile, and her laughter. They hadn't spent nearly as much time as he'd wanted to spend with her together, but that didn't seem to make a difference to his mind or his heart. 

While he refused to call her more than a friend, he knew he'd be devastated if he lost her for good. 

No, he had to do everything he could to keep her in his life. 

He'd start with the con coming up. He'd create as many memories as he could with her. Maybe, just maybe, she might care enough for him that she wouldn't leave him, should she learn who he was. Maybe, just maybe, she might even come to see him as a dear friend. If he was really lucky, she might even come to love him. 

Wouldn't that be something?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be fluffy. I promise.


	13. The Morning of the Gaming Con

Sneaking into the mansion in the early morning hour, the last thing he expected to find in his room was his father. 

"I trust you've been keeping yourself busy while I've been away," Gabriel said in his no-nonsense voice, his fingers straightening his jacket's sleeves and picking at the imaginary dust he saw. 

Biting back a sarcastic retort, Adrien said instead, "Of course, Father. I actually have plans today, so I better get moving or I'll be late." 

He moved toward his closet, doing his best to keep his father's glare from visibly affecting him. The air within his room had changed with his father's presence, became charged with an energy that could spell trouble if he didn't take care. 

With his back turned toward his room, he pulled out a clean set of clothes, deciding on casual with the gaming event he planned to attend with Marinette in a couple of hours. Satisfied with the tee and jeans he'd found near the back of his closet, he swiveled to head into his bathroom but froze in place at the sight of his father at his closet's doorway. 

His escape was blocked. 

"Is there something I can do for you, Father?" he asked, hoping placation might aid in freeing him.

Gabriel stood firm, his arms crossing over his chest and his brows cocking upward in a fashion that didn't spell good fortune for Adrien ever. His stare took on an edge that didn't sit well with Adrien as he finally said, "Where are these plans taking place? Who will you be with? You have duties here, young man, and I expect them to be your top priority. Have you forgotten what we're doing all this for? Have you already forgotten your family in favor of some little chit with little prospects in her future?" 

"I've forgotten nothing, but she's not what you say she is. She's a friend. That's all." 

Keeping his gaze locked on his father, Adrien moved toward the entrance. 

"You're making a mistake, son." Gabriel didn't budge, standing his ground. "I think it's time you realize that and listen to me. I can't help you if you don't listen to me." 

"I have been listening, Father. I've always listened to you, never questioned you or your motives. If I'm questioning you now, it's not because of her or anyone else. It's because of you." 

Gabriel took a menacing step toward him, but Adrien slipped past him, thanking his time as Chat Noir. 

He didn't stop, either, as he called for his transformation and fled his room before his father could stop him. 

The windows sealed behind him, locking from the inside and keeping the mansion as fortress-secure as his father preferred. 

He glanced through them to find his father staring at him, the menacing look growing more so for his ability to slip away. Something had broken inside his father, something he hadn't the first clue how to fix on his own. 

Ladybug's image flitted through his mind, but he shoved the thought away. He couldn't, wouldn't involve her unless it became absolutely necessary. 

Turning his back on his father, he vaulted toward the only place he felt safe within Paris's city limits, the long-term care facility. If he hurried, he might be able to snag some time to prepare for his day before his father stepped in and forbade him from the property, citing one excuse or another to keep him from his mother's and brother's sides. 

Not daring to hope his father might turn out decent this time, he raced across the city, not pausing for a single distraction in his haste. He dashed across rooftops, vaulted over alleyways, and somersaulted toward his destination. 

As the facility came into view, his baton pinged with a message. 

Fearing the worst yet remaining hopeful, he pressed the paw print and glanced at the screen, his steps screeching to a sudden halt at the sight of Ladybug's name flashing. 

He pressed another button, opening her message.

_Mon Chaton, I hope this finds you well. Hawk Moth is home. Please, take care around him. If you need me, remember to look for my spots. That's where I'll be. Ladybug._

Reading her supportive yet short message filled him with a sense of belonging. Someone cared about him again. It didn't matter she was the last person he wanted to care for him. All that mattered was she did. 

He pulled up the map on his baton as she'd showed him and found her spots far closer than he'd expected to. If he read the map correctly, it appeared she might be a few blocks away and currently moving closer to his position. 

Glancing around him, he spotted her within seconds as she paused on a rooftop across from him. 

She sent him a small wave, slowing her steady pace to a stop.

While the alleyway between them kept them separated, he could feel the invisible tug that would forever connect him to her. They were two halves of a whole, he knew, but he hadn't accepted that until that moment. She wouldn't abandon him if he decided to trust her. She wouldn't walk away when the situation became too dire. She would stand and fight beside him as she was meant to do. 

"You okay, Chaton?" she called from her rooftop. Her hands played with the yoyo at her waist as she debated with herself about her next moves. 

It brought a smile to his lips, seeing her indecision at approaching him, though it disappeared a moment later. He hated the distance he'd created between them, hated not having her rush to his side when he needed her as he needed her then.

Frowning at the thoughts crowding through his mind, he realized with a start those thoughts didn't belong to him but to Plagg. The desire to meet her halfway, to have her crushed in his arms, to know she wouldn't leave him. Those were his kwami's thoughts being projected onto him.

"I'm doing as well as expected," he managed to say after several moments passed. His thoughts continued to wrestle with those Plagg kept sending to him in waves. "I have plans, so I better get moving. Thanks for checking on me, LB. I'll be fine though."

To his relief, she nodded, taking a few steps back and giving him the distance she thought he wanted. "Let me know if I can help. I'll be around. Should you need me, of course."

He waved in farewell, continuing his journey toward the facility. 

Plagg continued his war campaign with images and thoughts of past Ladybugs and Chat Noirs. He didn't let up, either, as Adrien slipped into the facility through the cracked window of the room he knew all too well. 

It was the last image that caught his breath as he took in the Chat Noir before him, one that looked an awfully familiar to his own version. His gaze slid to his brother's unconscious form and traced over every line and comparing it to the last Chat Noir. The similarities astounded him, but he quickly shoved the thought aside, not ready to dwell on that possibility. 

Dropping his transformation, he glared at Plagg for a moment before commanding he keep watch as Adrien hurried through a shower and got ready for his day with Marinette. 

Plagg grumbled but agreed, taking a spot near the edge of Felix's bed. His eyes remained glued to the room's door as Adrien slipped into the bathroom and readied the shower. 

"I'll get my answers soon," he whispered as he stepped into the shower moments later, the water lapping over him with welcome heat. 

00000

Her morning runs had been an accident of sorts, but she'd soon fallen in love with those early morning explorations. She laughed at the horrified look her teenaged self would've given her. Sleeping in and working late had been her routine during those formative years. Still were in a lot of ways until she'd taken on the responsibilities of Ladybug. It didn't matter that she'd taken the morning as Chat had long ago claimed the evening as his own. She'd wanted to respect that as she continued to build his trust in her. 

Running across the rooftops had been proven a freeing time for her. She loved the chance to check over her city and its citizens without having too many people out and about to watch her. It'd also worked in her favor as she spotted movement throughout the Agreste mansion that morning, the gates opening at the street to emit the limo carrying both Gabriel and his assistant. 

She'd paused on a rooftop, ducking down so he wouldn't spot her and watched as he and his assistant made their way inside. The notable looks passing between them put her on edge and had her reaching for her yoyo to warn Chat Noir of his father's reappearance. 

As she typed the message and prepared to hit send, she spied him moving across the rooftops from the opposite direction she'd come from. Her thumb hovered over the button to send her message as she watched him through the windows of his room. His father had met him there and appeared ready to battle. 

She'd debated coming to his aid but held back as he maneuvered himself from the room and raced as fast as he could through the city, the mansion sealing behind him. A frown slid into place as she realized the significance of this for Chat Noir's future as Hawk Moth's partner. The bond between them had been severed by Chat's latest actions, one that could prove disastrous should any misstep happen. 

Seeing his form disappear from sight, she glanced into his room a final time and noted his father's absence. She pressed the send button on her message and took off after him. Something told her she needed to see him before he disappeared at his next destination, a place she wouldn't be welcome in either form without his bringing her there first. She had more work to get to that point, she knew, and she had every intention of putting that work in, plus some. 

Her Chaton needed her even if he wasn't ready to admit it yet. 

When she met up with him on the rooftops, her heart had plummeted at the stark expression he wore without seeming aware of it. That look had the ability to drop her to her knees, but she didn't let it. If he knew how vulnerable his expression was, he would shut down for sure and then, where would they be? 

It'd taken everything in her to let him go after they'd spoken so briefly, having heard the falseness of his words despite the distance between them. 

Warmth filled her, reminding her she would be seeing him soon enough. They had plans that day, plans she'd been looking forward to the past couple of weeks after inviting him during that not-so-fateful run-in at the cheese shop.

"Thank you, Tik," she whispered, taking off toward her apartment and the shower waiting for her there.

Stepping into her small living room moments later, she kept her steps light and swift as she hurried toward the bathroom, ready to make the most of the day ahead of her. She'd have Adrien, her sweet Chaton, for most of the day if she had any say in the matter and would hopefully learn more about his state and how to help him better. 

A mental tally played through her head as she showered and changed into the clothes she'd set aside for the day. She'd chosen comfort with a bit of style as she had to match the infamous Adrien Agreste if she was going to be seen with him. His father wouldn't have it any other way, even if the man had already made it known how he felt concerning her and his son. It didn't bother her as Adrien's opinion mattered more and his friendship. She could handle anything Gabriel tossed her way as long as Adrien wanted her by his side. 

"Marinette, you look beautiful," Tikki said, coming into the room with a cookie between her paws. "Adrien is sure to swoon at seeing you in Chat Noir colors." 

"Not too much?" She glanced in the mirror to make sure everything was where it should be. 

Tikki shook her head, heading for the purse Marinette had set out for the day. 

"Alright, then," Marinette grabbed up her purse and moved toward the door of her apartment, "let's do this." 

She soon arrived at the gaming con's location, taking her place in line as she waited with several others to get inside for the grand opening of the weekend event. Keeping a lookout for Adrien, she smiled when she spotted him approaching minutes later and called out to him. When he didn't immediately spot her, she raised her hand and waved until he did. 

The tightness in his expression softened as he walked toward her. 

"Hey, you made it," she said for lack of anything better to say at that moment. 

His arms wrapped her in a quick hug and he pressed two quick kisses to her cheeks before he stepped back and nodded. "Wouldn't miss this for the world. I mean, I did get the sweetest invitation from the most beautiful woman in the whole city."

"I'd almost forgotten how cheesy you were." Her cheeks warmed at his soft praise in both his words and his expression. She had to tamp down the warm pleasure they brought her, reminding herself she had a job to do besides having fun at this event with him. His trust in her was vital to taking down Hawk Moth, and she had only one chance if she wanted to get this right. "So, you think you're ready for some real fun? This con is supposed to be the best gaming con in the entire country." 

"Oh, I'm ready. I just hope you can keep up, dear Mari." 

The line soon moved, propelling them closer to the doors. When their turn came, they flashed their passes and headed inside. The bustling of bodies and the rumble of hundreds of voices and games flooded their senses and threatened to send them reeling before they acclimated to it all. 

Their hands brushed.

She twisted her wrist so their palms touched. 

He glanced at her in question for a moment before his fingers slid between hers, their hands clasping as though it belonged that way all along.

"Come on, let's have some fun," he shouted above the din.

"You're so on." 


	14. Video Games and Picnics

"Gah, no, you can't," he shouted, dismayed by his latest loss. 

She giggled as his head dropped to his chest, the VR goggles shifting from his movement. "Oh, I can, and I did." 

"You're not even sorry, are you? You enjoyed killing me in the most dastardly way, didn't you?" He shoved the goggles to the top of his head and eyed her with a look she didn't dare read too much into. It spelled trouble and she had no intention of inviting that kind of trouble, not with him. At least, not yet. 

Mimicking the smirk she'd seen him wear in the past, she pulled off her borrowed goggles and slid closer to him. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Guess you'll have to figure that one out on your own."

His fingers teased at her skewed locks, pulling a gasp from her. 

She took a quick step back but tried to cover it up by handing over her goggles to an overly helpful employee, thanking him for his time and their use of the VR station. When she turned back to Adrien, she met his guarded expression with a small pang in her chest. Hoping to rectify it, she said, "I don't know about you, but I'm starving." 

"Yeah, I could eat. Want to try one of the trucks outside or do you fancy a place where we can sit and enjoy something?" He paused as though a thought occurred to him, his gaze dropping to the designer watch he wore at his wrist. 

By the comical widening of his eyes, she hazarded they'd been having so much fun at the con they'd lost complete track of time. Pulling out her phone, she sucked in a breath as she read the time herself.

"Oh, wow. We didn't even stop for lunch," she mumbled, noting the reminder flashing at the top of her phone. "Um, how about we do a mixture of both? I'm supposed to meet up with some friends, and I'd love it if you joined us." 

His free hand crept up to his neck and rubbed at the skin peeking from his collar. 

"Are you sure they won't mind me tagging along? I don't want to intrude." 

She closed the distance between them, disliking the uncertainty he exhibited at hearing her plans. Her hand came up and tugged at his, removing it from his neck. Seeing the redness growing across his skin, she had the worrisome thought that this had become a habit of his, one brought on by his father's uncompromising standards and expectations. 

It certainly warred with the act he'd given her the few times they'd run into each other when he'd been Chat Noir. The air of nonchalance he'd tried so hard to display to the world didn't hold water, not anymore, she realized with a start.

Spurred into action, she took his hand and laced their fingers together at their side. 

"No, they won't mind. In fact, you'll save me from being a third wheel. They have a tendency to forget I exist whenever one of their amorous moods strike, and they strike quite often," she smiled, "So, please come. I promise you the best food and some lively entertainment that won't be my friends making out. There's a concert in the park where I'm meeting them. Alya's mom is a chef, too, so she'll be providing a delicious meal and I'm picking up dessert from my parents' bakery." 

The uncertainty clouded his eyes as they met hers. 

She could see he wanted to say yes, but something held him back. Fearing that something involved his father, she tightened her grip on his hand and tugged him toward the doors leading outside. 

"Come on. I'm not taking no for an answer. You need to eat and so do I." 

He hesitated, pulling them up short near the doors. His mouth opened and shut several times, and his brows scrunched as if they wanted to become one long caterpillar, an impossible feat despite their desperate attempt. 

Rising on her toes, she brought her lips close to his ear so others wouldn't overhear. "It's okay to say no, but I don't think you want to, do you? You want to say yes, but you're scared. That's your greatest secret, isn't it, Chat?" 

The way he tensed, she knew she could've surprised him less with a punch to his middle or even some sexy come-on. 

Not ready to back down yet, she continued, "It's okay to be scared. It's normal. Just know you are allowed to have some fun. Non-villainy fun, mind you. So, say yes and join me and my friends for a picnic and concert in the park."

"How did you ... How long have you known?"

Squeezing his hand, she tilted her face so she could better see him as he tried to avoid her gaze. "I'll tell you the story later tonight. Right now, we better get going. We don't want to be late." 

She didn't give him an opportunity to stall or demand further explanations. A few soft, insistent tugs worked wonders as he followed her from the con and into the fresh air that awaited them a few blocks away. 

00000

The question she refused to answer kept repeating in his mind until all he could do was reflect over every interaction they'd ever had. Nothing stood out as an opportunity for her to discover his identity, at least not one that made sense. Sure, he'd played it too close when he'd talked to her at the Bourgeois charity ball, but he doubted she'd seek out his identity. She hadn't really liked him back then, had she? No. Not possible. 

"You're thinking too hard. I thought you wanted to have some fun today." 

She slid him a sly look that sent his heart racing. 

If he didn't know any better, he might've suspected her playing some sort of game with him, but Marinette didn't play games. She wasn't like his father or the people his father employed. She was good and kind and sweet, everything his world had lacked since his mother's demise. 

"Hey, you okay? We can call this off if you're not feeling up to it." 

She tugged him toward the side of a building, out of the way of other pedestrians. Her expression warped into one of concern as she pulled him closer and released his hand in favor of his shoulders. 

If he confronted her, he couldn't help but wonder if she'd walk away from him, leave him alone. He'd spent enough time alone and refused to do it anymore. 

Shaking himself, he placed his hands over hers and offered his best smile. "I guess I'm hungrier than I thought I was. Let's meet up with your friends. I'll be fine once I've eaten something." 

"You sure?" 

The quirking of her brow widened his smile and drove up his desire to kiss her, but he shoved that impulse down. No need to push for something he had no right pushing for. She'd already done enough by befriending him and defying his father's threatening edict.

"Yeah, but could you answer one question for me?" 

"What's that?" 

His smile grew a bit wider still. How anyone could be so cute, he'd never know, but she was and it did funny things to him. 

Doing his best to recover, his hands tightened around hers as he asked, "If you know who I am, then why are you ignoring Hawk Moth's warnings? Isn't this a bit dangerous for you, especially as a civilian without powers?"

When she tugged her hands from his grip, his heart threatened to burst through his chest, the painful throbbing unbearable. 

She surprised him by wrapping them around his middle, pulling herself flush against him. 

They stayed that way for several seconds. He hadn't experienced anything quite so blissful in ages, and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to enjoy it despite his misgivings. 

"I might've promised not to see Chat, but I didn't promise not to see you." She tilted her face up and beamed the brightest smile he'd ever seen before. "I found loopholes."

His throat clogged with emotion at her small confession. There was more to her story, but he could accept her answer for now. He could accept that she cared about him in some small way and that was enough. Knowing she'd gone out of her way to find loopholes meant she cared. Nothing else mattered at that moment. 

Well, almost nothing.

His stomach growled, protesting this latest distraction from fulfilling its desires. 

"Come on," she said, giggling. "The park is around the corner." 

Her friends waved them over as they walked through the park's entrance minutes later, scooting on the blanket to make room. Their open curiosity zipped through the air, their gazes not sparing a minute detail of his person. If he hadn't been holding Marinette's hand, he might've found his courage lacking enough to send him fleeing in the opposite direction.

As it was, her hold tightened as she propelled them toward the blanket. 

"Hey, guys, this is Adrien. He's the one I've been telling you about." She sank onto the blanket and dragged him with her. "I told him to join us as we completely lost track of time at the con and we're now officially starving. Oh, you guys should've been there. It was such fun, especially the VR station. Did you know they made the latest version of Ultimate Mecha Strike available in VR? Oh, boy, that was a workout. Am I right, Adrien?"

"You are right," he murmured, doing his best to avoid the curious stares from her friends. 

"Alya, Nino, really? He's just a guy. Stop staring at him already." She huffed as her friends finally shook themselves and returned to dishing out the food from the basket one of them brought. "Sorry about that, Adrien. I don't know what to do with them sometimes."

"Oh, please, girl. You know you love us. We're the best friends you could ever have." 

She laughed. "That is true. You are." 

"Besides, it's not our fault you brought the closest thing to Adonis with you. I mean, have you looked at him? I may have to lock up my man here if I want to keep him." 

Adrien jerked his head up at that announcement, his gaze bouncing between the couple and Marinette. The gleeful expression in Alya's gaze as it met his put him a little more at ease while Nino merely smiled as he nudged her with his shoulder. It was clear the two had an open affection for one another and didn't mind teasing each other. 

He'd never experienced anything like it. His parents didn't much care for public displays, and his own experience was lacking overall when it came to romance and relationships. 

She clapped her hands. "Anyways, what did the famous Marlena make for us today?"

"Hmm, that depends on what you brought from your parents' bakery?" Alya countered, pulling back the dish she'd been ready to hand over. 

"Oh, cinnamon sticks, we forgot, but I'll make it up with a special trip to that new ice cream place. It's supposed to have the best flavor combinations in town." 

"It'll be my treat," he said, hoping they wouldn't be too mad at her. "It's the least I can for you accepting me last minute." 

Alya and Nino returned their attention to one another, holding a silent conversation only a couple could have after having been together for so long. 

At last, they turned back to them with smiles and nods. 

"Great," Marinette said, her relief evident as she darted a quick glance at him, "but it'll be our treat." 

Before he could try and argue, the concert's host walked onto the pavilion and opened the show with a small, well-rehearsed act. 

Marinette's hand sought his on the blanket, giving his fingers a soft squeeze. 

That simple gesture stopped him in his tracks. 

He liked her. He liked her as something more than a friend. 

Oh, who was he kidding anymore? 

He loved her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm taking a quick breather on this story and Marinette's Ghost Dilemma to catch up on some life stuff. I'll be back to posting updates in March. See you again soon.


	15. A Night for Stargazing

"Okay, M, you weren't wrong about this place," Alya said, licking at the cone she held with one hand and flashing a big smile. "You are officially forgiven for forgetting dessert earlier. We're coming back here as often as we can, aren't we, Nino?"

"Mhm," he murmured around a big bite, his head bobbing up and down with enthusiasm. 

Everyone chuckled at his antics while enjoying the cones or cups Marinette had purchased for them all. 

The evening had been a pleasant one. The concert had been a big hit with both opening and main acts. Marinette and Nino had hummed along to the songs they knew. Alya had danced in her seat, swaying to the beats with a wide smile across her features. As they all found their groove, they dined on the perfectly prepared meal Alya had brought. While Marinette endured light teasing for her forgetfulness, her friends had remained warm and welcoming, a pleasant and welcome surprise.

Unsure of the bands but enjoying the company, he'd sunk back and simply watched the people who'd come into his life in the most unexpected ways. As the bands seamlessly transitioned from one song to the next, Adrien allowed himself to relax, his body losing the earlier tension of meeting Marinette's friends and having them judge him. 

While he doubted they knew of his secret pastime, he couldn't help but wonder what they'd think of a stranger coming into Marinette's life they hadn't yet vetted. His father would've never let that happen when Adrien had been younger, having turned down several wannabe friends and hangers-on that had tried attaching themselves to him. 

Their curiosity had been obvious, but they had given him space to acclimate at his own pace. Marinette had seen to that, shushing them whenever they got too overeager with their questions now and then. By the end of the concert, they'd come to accept him, possibly even approve of him. He hadn't counted on being so humbled or so honored by their trust in him. 

Turning toward Marinette, he smiled, noting the small bit of ice cream coating her upper lip. 

Leaning close, he dropped his spoon into his half-empty cup and stretched his hand towards the offending ice cream, a smile playing across his lips.

She squeaked when he made contact, jumping a bit but not backing away.

"You had a little something." He finished swiping and removed his hand. "There. Better."

She stared, her eyes as wide as they could go. Nothing slipped past her lips, either, as she stood there, immobile. 

Concerned, he glanced at her friends to see if he'd messed up in some way, but they proved quite unhelpful.

"Well, girl, we had fun tonight. Let's do it again soon. Bring Sunshine again." Alya wrapped them both in a quick hug before she ushered Nino down the street.

With her friends gone, she rallied, shaking herself and shooting him a sweet smile. 

"Thank you," she murmured, picking up her spoon and eating another scoopful of ice cream, "for earlier. I can be such a mess sometimes." 

"At least, you're a cute mess." 

Pink tinted her cheeks at the compliment. She ducked her head so he couldn't see her as she ate a few scoopfuls. 

"So," she began after finishing her latest bite, "it's too early to call it a night. Would you like to see one of my favorite places? It'll mean walking me home, but I promise it's one of the best views you could ask for." 

No way was he ready to head home and face the potential wrath that would be his father after that morning's narrow escape. 

Offering up his arm, he tried to keep the grin off his face as she accepted it without hesitation, her ice cream cup empty and tossed into the nearby trash bin. His grin won, sliding into place when she rested her head against his shoulder. 

Walking down the street, Adrien couldn't help but notice the attention they were getting as they passed several couples and other pedestrians. Some smiled as though they were the cutest couple while others wore envious expressions. He hadn't expected such a happenstance, but he drew her a bit closer, not ready to share her with any of them. 

When one guy happened to get too close for his liking, he forced down the hiss that threatened to spill out of him. 

Marinette raised a brow when she glanced up to find him glaring after the guy. "Everything okay?"

He nodded though he didn't let the man out of his sight until they prepared to turn a corner. 

"Such a protective chaton," she murmured, working to hide her giggles from him. 

Not bothering to deny her claim, he continued to watch those they passed, not daring to let anything hurt her. It was with some relief when they reached her apartment building, her key already in hand by the time they climbed the few steps to the door. 

She led him toward the small elevator, taking it to the top floor and stepping out. Nodding at the roof access door, she soon had it propped open and motioned him onto the rooftop first. 

The stars that awaited them took his breath away. Their numbers were far greater than he'd thought possible. 

"This is something," he whispered.

00000

It sure is, she thought, not quite daring enough to say the words aloud.

Instead, she took his hand back and led him toward the chimney stack. Sliding down, she patted the space beside her and waited for him to join her. 

"I told you it would be worth seeing," she murmured, moving closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder again.

He nodded and pulled her closer, his arm coming around her shoulders. "You were right. Thank you for inviting me along to, well, everything today. I had a lot of fun with you." 

She didn't say anything, sensing she didn't have to. Scooting closer, she found his other hand and wrapped her smaller ones around it. 

They stayed like that for a while, not wanting to leave the private space they'd created until the chill of the evening eventually drove them inside. 

When the roof door shut behind them, he wound his arms around her for a proper hug. In her hair, he whispered, "Thank you, Marinette. I know I don't deserve your kindness or anyone's in Paris for that matter, but thank you for giving it to me anyway. I'm not the Chat Noir you or they deserve, and I probably never will be." 

She made a protesting noise in the back of her throat a moment before she brought her hand to his side and pinched hard. 

He jerked backward, letting her go. One hand went to the spot she'd gotten while the other landed near his chest pocket. 

"Ow. Hey, what was that for? Geez, I try to be honest and get attacked in return." 

"No, you were saying stupid things and deserved what you got," she countered, her fists moving to her hips. 

A soft cackling came from his pocket. "I like her, kid. She tells it like it is. You could use someone like her."

"Plagg, would you be quiet? She's not supposed to know about you." 

Plagg emerged from his pocket and shot her a cheeky wink, saying, "Oh, that cat's out of the bag now."

She rolled her eyes at the little kwami, grateful he hadn't spilled all he knew about her to Adrien yet. That was something she wanted to tell him herself when the timing was right.

"Alright, how about we get inside my apartment before anyone comes out and starts asking the wrong questions, hmm?"

Motioning them to follow her, she took several steps down the hall, not stopping until she came to the last door at the end. Her key fit into the slot and clicked, the lock shifting to let them in. 

"If you're hungry, there might be something you like in the fridge, Plagg, so make yourself at home. I'm going to show Adrien around a bit." 

"I'm not sure I'm safe with you alone anymore. You pinch people," he said with soft accusation near her ear, ruffling a few loose strands of her hair. 

She met his gaze with a smile. "Well, I don't pinch people unless they're saying stupid things. You plan on doing that again."

He shook his head.

"Then, you have nothing to worry about." She grabbed his arm and tugged him toward the tiny hall that separated the two bedrooms of her apartment. "Come on. I'm going to show you where you can sleep tonight."

He tugged himself free, taking several steps back with an almost wild expression spreading over his face. "You're inviting me to stay the night? Why? Why would you do that? You know who I am and what I've done. Why are you being so nice to me? What do you want from me?" 

For every step she took towards him, he retreated three more. He didn't stop until his back slammed into the wall and sent a photo crashing to the floor. He cringed at the mess he'd made, but he remained paralyzed against the wall. 

Closing the distance between them, she stretched her hands out to cup his cheeks, taking care with the vulnerability she caught peeking through his expression. In a low voice, she shushed him, working to calm his nerves. Her fingers inched their way toward the edges of his hair, ruffling the few locks they could reach. 

As his breathing returned to a normal state, she continued to soothe him with gentle touches and softer shushes. 

"It's okay, Chaton. It's going to be okay. You are safe here."

"You don't know that for sure. How can you say that when you don't know?"

"Because I do know," she leaned closer, "and so do you."

"I don't--"

She cut him off, placing a finger over his lips and saying, "Yes, you do. I saw your expression the first I showed up. I had hoped I wasn't so obvious, but I don't think I succeeded. You haven't said anything or done anything, but I have a feeling you know. Deep down, you know the truth. I have been and always will be there, Chaton, as a partner is meant to be."

"You're Ladybug." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow will see a new chapter, but after that, this story is moving to an every other week update schedule for the foreseeable future. Thank you for understanding. After tomorrow's update, this story will be back on March 27, 2020.


	16. Chat Noir Has a Fan

"Feeling better?" she asked when he emerged from the bathroom.

One towel wrapped around his waist while he dried his hair with the other. He shot her a grateful expression as hints of her strawberry conditioner and the berry body wash she preferred wafted through the air. 

She dropped her gaze to the mess covering her table, unsure how much longer she could stare at him and get away with it. The distraction of his physique wasn't something she'd counted on when she'd invited him to spend the night. Determined to remain focused on the greater matter at hand, she motioned him toward the table, mindful of the towel covering him and keeping her eyes trained on all she'd gathered. 

"What's all this?" 

"Research." She glanced up and found him leaning over her chair rather than taking a seat. Swallowing past the dryness in her throat, she managed to say, "Want to help?" 

He nodded, finally taking his seat. His hands kept a firm grip on the towel, so it wouldn't slip and give her a show. Sheet after sheet, he read over the information she'd found with Bridgette's help over the past few weeks. "You're looking into how to help my mother and brother? Why?"

"Because they matter to you, Chaton," she said in a low voice, adding, "and because I think we've found a way to help them that doesn't require our jewels being used for some master wish." 

He frowned. "Who's we?" 

"The guardian and me." 

Meeting his gaze, she watched as his frown deepened, trying to work the pieces that didn't make sense. 

In an effort to help him, she called for Plagg and Tikki to join them, smiling at the way the kwamis had become snuggly since being reunited that evening. 

"Plagg, what all does Adrien know and not know about being Chat Noir?" 

"A lot," Plagg confirmed, sending his holder a mock glare. "I didn't trust him after I was stolen from my last Chat Noir, so I only told him what I was ordered to. He's figured out some of it on his own, but he doesn't know all. Neither does Hawkmoth from what I can tell. Nooroo is doing his best to keep him out of the loop, including the knowledge of a guardian." 

"I guess that's fair," Adrien mumbled, his expression falling into sadness and a bit of hurt. 

Clapping her hands, she made a quick decision. "Let's get you on the same page then, hmm?" 

Over the next half-hour or so, she walked him through all she'd learned after becoming Ladybug from the way they can communicate via their weapons to the guardian of the miraculous. She divulged all the information she had and felt safe sharing.

At one point, she turned to Plagg and asked, "Think he's ready to hear the story of your previous Chat Noir? Does he know who had the ring before he did?"

"No, but Hawkmoth wanted his complete compliance." Plagg eyed his holder again, this time a sadness crept over his features and weighed down his tiny shoulders. "Kid, you ready for a story? It's not an easy one to tell or hear."

Adrien's gaze had been open though a bit wary at the beginning, but it soon shifted as Plagg revealed the previous Chat Noir's identity. His hands clenched at the tabletop, forgetting the precarious position of the wrapped towel. Betrayal leaked into his expression as he listened to the entirety of Plagg's recounting, moisture gathering at the corners of his eyes. 

As Plagg wrapped up, Adrien's gaze turned toward her, slamming into her hard as she caught the abject hurt so clearly painted across his expression. His voice was little more than a hollow whisper as he begged, "Please tell me it's not true. Please tell me I haven't been on the wrong side due to a lie."

She didn't hesitate, grabbing one of his hands and holding it tight as she whispered, her own voice clogged with emotion, "I wish I could, but I can't, Chaton. Felix was the previous Chat Noir, and he was struck down by Hawkmoth, not by the previous Ladybug. She loves him, Adrien, and she wants him back as much as you do." 

"How do you know that? How can I be certain of what you're telling me?" 

Her hand tightened around his. "Because I know her. She's my sister." 

"Wow, the punches don't stop coming, do they?" he asked after several minutes of silence passed. His expression had gone through an array of emotions from his earlier betrayal and hurt to disbelief to almost comical. "How much more is the universe going to throw at us?"

"I guess it depends on how you feel about soulmates. That's the last bit I know about Ladybug and Chat Noir. It's apparently customary that all Ladybugs and Chat Noirs are soulmates in some way. I think it ranges from platonic to romantic, but I can't say for sure." 

That earned Plagg a hard glare as Adrien turned his attention to his kwami. In a low voice, he demanded, "Is that why you kept sending me images of Ladybug all the time?" 

Plagg shrugged, his mouth curving into a grin that would've made the Cheshire cat proud. 

Adrien sighed, which made Marinette's heart pang hard against her rib cage. 

She couldn't help wondering how much more he didn't know and what all he still had to learn before they took their next step. How much did they have before Hawkmoth made his next move? Would she have her partner by her side this time or would he destroy her after she'd given him most of her secrets?

She bit her lip, her gaze locking onto him and praying she'd made the right decision.

00000

"So, kid, how mad are you? On a scale of one to ten," Plagg asked, abnormally subdued as he rested on the bed pillow beside Adrien's. 

He shrugged, not quite prepared to talk after the overwhelming information he'd gotten that evening. 

"Come on, kid. Talk to me. I can't read you like I usually can. You gotta help me out." The tiny cat zipped into the air and hovered over his face, his expression almost worried as they stared at one another.

Adrien opened his mouth to tell Plagg to leave him alone, to tell him he wasn't ready to put his feelings into words. In the end, he didn't have it in him to be angry, to shove his kwami aside like his father and others had done to him. 

"Kid?" 

"I'm just tired. I don't know anything beyond that right now." 

Plagg nodded, settling on top of Adrien's chest. "Okay, kid, I can accept that." 

Both fell silent for a while though neither felt quite ready to sleep despite their eventful day. 

Shifting on the spare bed in Marinette's workroom, he glanced around the room and smiled. Almost every surface and hanging spot had been claimed by one project or another. Some had been finished while others remained in their early stages of construction. Seeing the progression she made helped ease the tension within him. Everything was a work-in-progress within the room, and that included him. He wasn't complete, nowhere near so, and that was okay. 

"Hey, Plagg?"

"Yeah, kid?"

Swallowing against the lump lodged in his throat, he asked, "Was Felix happy being Chat Noir? Would he want to be Chat Noir again if we can bring him back?"

The kwami remained quiet for several minutes, driving the anxiety and tension churning Adrien's stomach into tighter knots. 

When he reached his limit and readied himself to yell, Plagg surprised him by saying, "No, he wouldn't. He hadn't wanted the responsibility at first, so I put a curse on his ring to accept his fate. He came to terms with his responsibility, but without the curse, no, he wouldn't take the ring back from you. It wasn't meant to be his. He wasn't supposed to be my next holder." 

That had Adrien at a loss. The way Plagg had protected Felix's memory, he'd been almost certain that Felix had been the best Chat Noir to ever grace the world. To learn differently, he didn't know what to do with the knowledge. He didn't know how to react properly to this news. 

A knock interrupted his thoughts.

Marinette appeared a moment later, having pushed the door open. She held a pair of pajamas and his clothing, which she'd thrown into her washer upon their return to her apartment earlier that evening.

"These should fit," she said in a soft voice, stepping into the room and dropping them at his feet, "but let me know if they don't. I have a pair of my father's I mended for him somewhere." 

Reaching out for the pajamas, he stopped her from leaving by calling her name. 

When she turned to face him again, he smiled. "Thank you."

She returned his smile and walked toward the door, ready to leave him and find her own rest. 

Taking up the pajamas and examining the fine craftsmanship, he stopped her again. "Where did you get Chat Noir merchandise? I thought it was all tossed after ..."

Her back remained facing him. "It was. I made those myself."

"Why?" He dropped the pajamas onto the bed and pushed himself from the covers. "Why would you make them?"

Walking toward her, he stopped short when he'd gotten within touching distance. 

"Marinette?" 

She spun to face him with a look that had him ready to drop to his knees in gratitude. 

"I made them because you are my partner, my soulmate. I made them because though you might've been misguided, but you are good at heart. You deserve a second chance. You were made to be a hero, Adrien. No matter what you've done in the past, all that matters is what you plan to do from this day forward." 

"I don't deserve such devotion," he rasped, his throat closing around the returning lump. 

Her hand came up and cupped his cheek, her expression softening. "That's where you're wrong, Chaton." 

Before he could guess her next move, she rose onto her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. Her eyes had drifted closed as she made contact with him, but they fluttered open a moment later, revealing a blue within their depths he hadn't seen before. 

"Will you come with me tomorrow? Will you meet my mother and brother? I want you to meet them." 

"I'd love to." 

This time, he initiated the kiss, brushing his lips against hers. He didn't prolong their contact, but he didn't shy away from it, either. 

When she pulled away, he let her.

She moved toward the door but glanced over her shoulder, a soft grin curving her lips.

"Goodnight, Chaton." 

"Goodnight, milady." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter coming March 27, 2020.


	17. Flowers

He turned onto his back, his arm tossed over his eyes as a sigh escaped him. 

"Hey, kid, you okay? It's getting late." Plagg settled on his chest, his tiny paws rubbing at his large eyes. 

Adrien let him sit there, taking comfort in having Plagg near. While he couldn't say he was overly happy with the secrets his kwami kept from him, it was nice not to be alone after everything he'd learned that evening. It made his father's betrayal easier to contend with, easier to accept and what it meant for him as a soon-to-be reformed villain. 

"Want me to get Marinette? Or Tikki? She's better at pep talks than I am."

Plagg blinked down at him, waiting for some type of reaction. A sadness lurked within his kwami, and Adrien couldn't begin to fathom how much of that was due to him and his actions these past several months. 

Shaking his head, he stretched his hand to cup Plagg and bring him closer. "You're not as bad as you think you are. I know we've had a rocky start, but I do have hope we can grow closer in the future. If what Marinette and you say is true, you were destined to be in my life as I was meant to be Chat Noir, a hero fighting alongside Ladybug. I want that to be my future, not what I've been so far." 

"You're a good kid." 

A low purr rumbled out of his kwami as they laid on the bed, Plagg curled into a ball over Adrien's heart. 

Neither fell asleep, their thoughts remaining too active for sleep to claim them. 

"How about a midnight snack?" Adrien asked, breaking the silence. "Think Marinette will mind?" 

Plagg shrugged his tiny shoulders, already zipping into the air and floating near the closed door. 

Following his kwami, Adrien snuck through the darkened hallway toward the living area and attached kitchen in the open floor plan. He couldn't help feeling grateful for such a setup as he skirted furniture on his way to the kitchen. 

"Oh, I didn't wake you, did I?" a soft voice asked from the kitchen. 

He yelped.

"Oh, no, I didn't mean to startle you." Marinette stepped around the counter and met him at the small dining table. "Would you like some warm milk? I was making some, and I can easily add a bit more if you'd like a cup. I, um, I couldn't sleep." 

Fighting the heat suffusing his cheeks at the unmanly sound he made, he nodded. "I wouldn't mind if you don't."

The smile she shot him did funny things to his heart, not that it needed an excuse to act funny whenever he found himself in her presence. She had an innate ability to calm him even when she flashed her sassiest self. It was something he enjoyed seeing from her, reassuring his life could resemble something almost normal despite their unusual acquaintance. 

"Sit. It'll be ready soon." 

She returned to the stove where she picked up a wooden spoon and stirred. 

Doing as she commanded, he slid one of her stools and sank onto the plush cushion, watching her as she worked. He didn't mind the silence that followed his actions, preferring it with his mind still reeling from the earlier reveals and information bombs that had blasted most of his preconceived notions about his father, his family, Ladybug, and her. It'd been a lot to take in, and he needed time to deal with it. Her giving him that time meant a lot to him as he continued to watch her. 

Within a few minutes, she clicked the stove's knob to off and poured the steaming mixture into two mugs, handing him one in the process. 

Coming around the counter a final time, she takes the stool next to him, sliding into place and setting her mug beside his. Her elbows propped on the counter, she tilted her face in her hands so that she might observe him, making her far too endearing for his battered heart. The soft look she gave him had him leaning closer so their shoulders touched, his head resting against hers. 

"Thank you," he whispered, his breath teasing her hair.

"I haven't really done anything, Chaton." 

Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her against his chest and simply held her. The warmth she exuded was enough to keep the coldness threatening to overtake him at bay. It was enough to keep the negative thoughts surrounding his actions and those of his father's from overwhelming him. 

"You're doing more than you think, ma petit fleur." 

"Claiming me again, huh? You sure that's what you want?" 

Hearing the teasing tone in her voice, he raised his head, hating the loss of contact, but this was too important for her not to be looking at him as he said it. 

When their gazes met, he nodded. "It's exactly what I want, Marinette. I want you in my life. No matter what happens from this point on, I need you to know I'll always want you beside me, and I will always be ready to fight beside yours." 

She smiled, a faint color covering her cheeks as she ducked her head. 

"Drink your milk, Chaton. We have to be up in a few hours." 

"I'm not sure I'm going to get much sleep," he admitted in a low voice, his hands playing with his mug. "I'm not used to sleeping away from my home. My father's always kept a pretty tight leash on my movements. Still did until recently if I'm going to be completely honest."

The look that entered her expression could only be pity, something he'd hoped never to see on her, but it couldn't be helped. He'd led a pretty pitiful existence for most of his life, allowing his father to kowtow him as often as the older man had. No one was to blame but himself.

He wanted to change that. For himself and for her, he wanted the chance to become the man he was meant to be. 

Having lapsed into a silence that wasn't quite comfortable though it wasn't full of tension either, they soon finished off their mugs of warm milk with a dash of cinnamon. A secret ingredient he would later discover she liked to add on particularly hard nights such as the one they had that night. 

Marinette got up, taking their mugs with her and setting them and the used pot in her sink.

With her task complete, she returned to his side and held out her hand, leading him into her room. 

She didn't let go, either, as they settled on separate sides of her bed and succumbed to sleep. 

00000

Waking the following morning, Marinette wondered at the welcome heat surrounding her, soon recalling she'd allowed Adrien to share her bed. It'd been a decision she would never regret as he curled closer, his arm cradling her as though he'd protect her in his sleep if that's what it'd take. 

"Morning, Marinette," Tikki chirped, a cookie in her hand.

Plagg sat next to her with a wedge of cheese he'd found in her fridge. He nodded at her though he didn't say anything, content with his cheese and the company next to him. 

She murmured her greeting to Tikki, shifting so she could attempt leaving her bed. Not that it worked well as Adrien's arm tightened around her, a small groan of protest coming from him. 

A giggle escaped as she finger-combed his tousled hair back from his face. 

"It's time to get up, Chaton. We have a busy day, remember?" 

Another giggle escaped when he tried to burrow deeper into her bed and take her with him. 

"Look here, you silly cat. As much as fun staying in bed all day can be, we both know we can't. So, come on, let's get up and greet the day." 

"How dare you be a morning person, my lady. It's a crime to hate sleep." 

Despite his protests, he pushed himself up until his back rested against her headboard, his hands scrubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

"If it helps you, Chaton, my younger self would feel the same as you do right now. I used to sleep the day away because I stayed up way too late. Becoming Ladybug changed a lot of that." She pushed to her feet and faced him with her hands on her hips. "A superhero must always be on top of her game, so you up for a run this morning?" 

She and Tikki laughed at the disgusted looks and sounds coming from Adrien and Plagg. 

Shaking her head, she waltzed into her bathroom. "Well, suit yourself. I'm going for a quick run. Mind making breakfast while I'm gone?"

"I can't guarantee it'll be good, but yeah, I think I can manage that," he called from the doorway, not daring to enter her personal space as she changed into comfy clothes for their outing later. 

She smiled at the thought of him making breakfast for them, something she hadn't had done for her since she moved out mere weeks ago. It was a nice change of pace, and excitement at this new prospect had her skipping from the bathroom.

Calling for her transformation, she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before slipping out her window and taking off across the rooftops of Paris. 

Upon her return, she found him waiting with two bowls of oatmeal topped with bits of fresh fruits and a smidgen of cinnamon. 

Despite his warning, the breakfast had been quite good, both of them finishing off their bowls and cleaning them before they headed out. 

"Do you mind if we make two stops?" he asked, holding her hand as they walked down the street together. "There's a couple of things I usually get whenever I visit them."

Not about to deny him anything after the night he'd had and the hand she'd had in it, she followed him toward the bus stop where they rode several blocks until they reached an area she recognized from an earlier run-in with him as Ladybug. The care facility wasn't far, she realized, as he tugged her from the bus and into a nearby flower shop. 

"Well, I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show up again. It's been a while," an older woman said from behind the counter, her smile warm despite the slight admonishment she shot at Adrien. "How have you been, sunflower? Your father isn't being too much of a boar, is he?"

"She knows your father?" Marinette asked, doing her best to keep her voice low. 

He nodded. 

The woman came behind the counter, her smile growing wider as her gaze landed on Marinette. "Oh, I didn't know you brought a friend. It's a pleasure to meet you, bluebell." 

"Daphne likes to give everyone a flower name. It helps her remember them, she says." He met her with a smile of his own, the fondness between the flower shop worker and Adrien clear. To Daphne, he asked, "Do you have my usual order available? I'm taking Marinette to meet my mother today."

"That's wonderful. I'm so happy for you, sunflower. I'll have it ready in five minutes, tops." 

As Daphne bustled back to her workbench near the front, Adrien led her around the shop, showing her what was clearly one of his favorite places to visit. She couldn't understand why as she listened to him talk about the different flowers and their meanings, the ones he'd grown especially fond of since he'd first started bringing his mother flowers after her mysterious illness placed her in her current state. 

When Daphne met them at the counter, she had the arrangement finished and ready for his approval. 

"Oh, this is amazing as always. The daffodils are a great addition." He grabbed his wallet and proceeded to pay. "Thank you for doing this on short notice." 

Daphne waved his outstretched card away. "Your money is no good today, sunflower. Take the flowers and be happy. You deserve it. I hope Miss Bluebell here knows what a wonderful guy you are." 

Marinette glanced to find a faint blush painting itself across his cheeks and smiled. "I do. He's one of the good ones." 

When he floundered for something to say, she followed up her words with a quick peck to his cheek, taking the arrangement from Daphne and nudging him out of the shop. 

"Alright, where to next?" 

He didn't react for a second, his gaze frozen on her, but he soon shook himself and dragged her toward a small alcove between the flower shop and an adjacent shop. His arms wrapped around her waist, mindful of the flowers they'd procured, and pulled her close to him. He dropped a kiss to the corner of her mouth, a slow grin spreading over his own. It lasted until he leaned in again and claimed her lips in a slow kiss that unfurled an entire flood of warmth through her system. 

When he finally pulled away, she met his indulgent expression, her body liquid in his arms. "What was that for?" 

"You being you, ma belle fleur." 

The flooding warmth shifted until the majority of it moved into her cheeks. 

"Flattery, Chaton? You think that works on me, hmm?" 

"Oh, I'm sure it does." He leaned in close and pressed another kiss to her cheek, which did little to cool the heat radiating from it. "Want me to stop flattering you? I can if you want me to."

She shook her head. 

"That's good to know," his smile returned, "because I really didn't want to stop. You deserve all the pretty words I can think up and so much more. I love you, Marinette." 

Her heart squeezed then soared at the words she hadn't expected to hear from him. 

Dragging her hands from his chest, she brought them to his cheeks, cupping his smooth skin. Oh, how she'd ever lucked into finding the gem behind the cavalier exterior he'd shown Paris as his alter, she would never know. All she could know was what her heart had been telling her these past couple of weeks, watching and getting to know him. 

"I love you, too, Adrien." 


	18. Announcement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been fighting this for a long time, and I hate that it's going to affect this story and a couple of others. Sadly, it can't be helped. I've hit a wall with my stories. It's not because I grew bored with the ideas themselves, but that I grew bored with the characters being used to execute the ideas. I've come to my end with Miraculous Ladybug and writing stories around it. I'll forever cherish the stories I have created and the fandom in general, but I'm ready to move on, to move back to original works.
> 
> Thank you to all who have read and enjoyed my stories. I deeply and truly appreciate each and every one of you.
> 
> So, you're not left with a half-finished story, I'm enclosing the outline that was being used for this story to give a general idea of where it was going. Happy ending is included because I don't write long stories without them.
> 
> If you would like to see what comes next, I'll be posting something soon on my social media accounts and my main Tumblr account. You can find me @mlgibsonauthor on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and @scribblingmama on Tumblr.
> 
> I wish everyone well and a warm farewell.

Hospital Visit - As they near the care facility, it dawns on him the significance of bringing her to this place at the same time it does her. He's never brought anyone to visit his family because he's never had anyone outside his father, who can't be bothered to show up anymore as he's grown lost in their mission to bring them back. Her caring and gentle nature don't surprise him anymore as she takes time with both, promising she'll help bring them back because she wants him to be happy and them to be happy. He begins breaking down and admits to all he knows about their conditions and his hopeless doubts that he'll never get them back. Marinette assures him hope will win out, and she has a few secrets she needs to tell him when they're back at her apartment.

Pinkie Promise - Marinette gets him back to her apartment where she makes the greatest promise she can, a pinkie promise to save his brother and mother. She makes him dinner and serves him one of the best meals he's ever had when she drops her biggest bombshell on him about being Ladybug. It's why she's allowed him so close to her, admitting to learning a few other secrets she might divulge if he continues to play nice. In the meantime, she does offer him a place to stay with her if he wants it, knowing his father can be quite controlling and manipulative. It's more than he ever expected from her and gives him a bit of hope he might attain happiness, something so long denied him.

Distractions - While he's ready to take her up on the offer she so sweetly laid out for him, he knows he has to return home and make one last stand with his father. Their scheme to get back his mother and brother haven't worked and he now believes it'll never work. When he walks in the door, his father doesn't give him the chance to say anything or argue before he's taken down into a part of the house he never knew existed. The minions his father has collected have no problem tossing him into a cell and chaining him to the wall with his father overseeing every action with approval. No more distractions for Adrien/Chat in Gabriel's mind as this punishment is sure to get his son back on the straight and narrow, locking the dungeon door behind him. Adrien fears the danger Marinette faces with him locked away and tries to send Plagg out to warn her, but Plagg is also trapped by a magic barrier, one that zaps his energy each time he tries to escape.

Cat Ears - Adrien's disappearance and lack of checking in has Marinette more than a little concerned. His radio silence has her seeking him out wherever and whenever she can, following any signs of cat ears she finds throughout the city. Each sighting that doesn't end with finding him makes her worry grow more as she fears something bad has happened. If only she knew, too, as Adrien does his best to work through his chains, having learned they're laced with magic, too, making them impossible for Plagg to open without hurting him. His energy is waning as his jailers refuse to give him much sustenance or mercy. He hopes Marinette will figure it out and save him in time, knowing she's the reason he continues to fight.

Modeling - The announcement spreads like wildfire around Paris. Adrien Agreste is returning to the catwalk for his father's upcoming fashion show, an impromptu one that has everyone buzzing. When Marinette hears the news, she feels her heart wither, fearing Adrien's been brainwashed or worse, he's gone back to his father's side, leaving her to fight alone. The model proclaiming to be Adrien comes out for a brief interview with his father, and she knows it's not Adrien but a copycat. Something is seriously wrong and she has to find him fast. 

Copycat - Tracking down the copycat, she manages to find her way through the city and into a part of the Agreste mansion she hadn't thought possible to exist underground. In one of the chambers, she locates Adrien and rushes toward him, forgetting herself in her relief to see him alive. She does remember to connect with Bridgette and assess her on the situation, requesting backup from Rena and a few others Bridgette can track down. The trap closes on her seconds later. Adrien apologizes for not being enough, hating himself for failing her as he has, but she shushes him, sensing they aren't alone.

Jealousy - The copycat's appearance in the dungeon doesn't worry her as much as it might've, sensing another darker presence behind the man. She faces off with both the copycat and Hawk Moth, learning the reasons for their recent behavior, especially towards Adrien/Chat and finds it absolutely appalling. Jealousy of another happens, she knows, but a father to be jealous of his son and hurt him to take it all away, keeping the equal made her blood boil as she prepared to face off with Hawk Moth on her own. Adrien does his best to stand and fight, but his chains and Plagg's weakened state make that especially hard. 

Akumatized Marinette - Having hidden the earrings for safekeeping, she faces off with the copycat akuma and takes him down with little effort as his powers are fairly ineffective. However, facing Hawk Moth, her anger grows to righteous outrage at his treatment of his son and family. He uses that to his advantage, akumatizing her as he'd done Chat Noir several weeks back. Unlike most, she has grown an immunity to his complete control as she takes the powers he gives her, ready to see what she's capable of. She touches the copycat and finds him guilty as Lady Truth, but she finds Adrien innocent, her powers able to free him and empower him. As he recovers, she turns her attention to her creator, Hawk Moth, and stops him from leaving the chamber. As she touches him, she saps his powers and plucks the brooch from his neck, bringing his evil reign to an end as the magic fades from her. 

Sweets - Marinette and Adrien both wake in her apartment, unsure how they got there. Baking smells permeate the air as Marinette stirs first and soon joins the small group gathered in her kitchen and living area. She soon joins Bridgette in the baking endeavors and soon has some of Adrien's favorites in the oven, readying for his appearance from her small sewing room. Adrien realizes he's free of the chains and in a soft bed, belatedly realizing it's Marinette's apartment. When he makes his way to the living room, he finds her with her small group of friends, meeting Rena and Carapace who helped the Guardian get them out of the dungeon and back to Marinette's place along with the Butterfly and Peacock miraculous jewels. Bridgette promises to help restore his brother and mother back to themselves, admitting she's missed her old partner, Felix.

Plushies - Marinette knows Adrien is feeling a bit lost after all that's transpired, especially with his father's ultimate betrayal against him. It hurts her to see him like he is, wallowing and not at all keen on leaving her apartment, but she hopes to find enough comfort creatures and other things to tempt him back to civilization and humanity. One such thing is a ton of plushies she'd bought and designed herself, sewing until her fingers bleed. It helps that Chloe has agreed to sell a bunch of them in her father's hotel gift shop. Adrien finally relents and promises he'll be okay if she'll remain patient with him. He needs her in his life, he knows, and he's not about to give up when she means so much to him. That helps in curbing her nesting and plushy collecting.

Movies - Adrien knows that movies aren't real life. Things don't just magically become better, not without some hard work and a little bit of positive thinking. When he and Marinette get a call from Bridgette about his family, his heart threatens to shatter in his chest as he expects the worst. It ends up being the opposite as she urges them to hurry to the care facility and see for themselves. Upon their arrival, there's a great stir among the staff and other residents as new buzz is created based on the events taking place in his family's private room. Stepping into the room, he nearly collapses as he sees his mother and brother sitting up and talking with Bridgette. He's almost sure he's dreaming but a pinch proves otherwise.

Overslept - It's been a crazy busy week as he visits them everyday and staying for several hours to become reacquainted. He catches them up on all they've missed, trying to avoid discussions about his father, but that soon comes up when Felix demands to know what's been done, having discovered before his demise who their father was. Their mother is saddened by the news, but she'd sensed a change in their father in the past few years. Marinette comes with him a few times as her schedule allows and finds herself quickly warming up to the woman who mothered Adrien and his brother. When the time comes for them to leave the care facility, they move back into the Agreste manner until matters can be handled and they're able to move on with their lives. Adrien goes with them while Marinette manages to visit him almost every night, causing them to oversleep more often than not.

Confession - It takes him a few months of seeing his family settled, his father imprisoned, and all their material possessions (including the mansion) handled to everyone's satisfaction. At each step, Marinette has been at his side, providing him with unspoken love and caring that he can't imagine not telling her anymore of his certain feelings for her and his dreams for their future if she's willing to share it with him. Not only has she remained at his side, but she's kept every promise she's made to him from helping his family return to him and restoring his image with the public as Chat Noir, allowing him to remain at her side as a real hero this time. Fear refuses to hold him back as he prepares for his ultimate confession to her.

Baking - It's a year and a half later, things are going well for everyone involved. Adrien and Marinette are living together and engaged to be married within a few weeks. They've adopted a few stray kittens to keep themselves busy. Marinette's shop is about to have its grand opening and things are looking up for Adrien as he starts grad school. Felix and Bridgette are newly married, having gotten married a few weeks prior by eloping and spending a few weeks touring through Europe. Emilie is seeing someone casually and seeking counseling for all she's experienced in the past few years so she might become a self-sufficient woman. They've all come together to help with baking up a storm for Marinette's impending grand opening, each helping in their own way. It's a day that's spent with family, friends, and a whole lot of laughter. It's a day that Adrien has always wanted to experience and counts himself lucky to have found it with Marinette, their friends, and both their families. 

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](http://therealscribblingmama.tumblr.com) for the latest updates.


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